¨,«\$&¤¶##                                          ##¶¤&$\«,¨
,.-«=†@££#                                          #££@†=«-.,
¨¨,~-\†&##                                          ##&†\-~,¨¨
¨.¨.-=†§*£                                          £*§†=-.¨.¨
¨....^~;%¤                                          ¤%;~^....¨
¨.,.,¨,~^§                 statuette                §^~,¨,.,.¨
,¨,¨¨,¨-~=                                          =~-¨,¨¨,¨,
,...,¨¨,~~ %%%§*¤%$**££¤%%$~=~«=-~~&*¤@@$*$&$%$@%$§ ~~,¨¨,...,
¨,,.,¨.¨.-                &£$&*£§$&                 -.¨.¨,.,,¨
....,¨¨,.,                                          ,.,¨¨,....
.,¨.¨,,..¨ forests around my childhood  home. thick ¨..,,¨.¨,.
,¨,¨.,¨¨,¨ pine   arcades  that  were  planted  and ¨,¨¨,.¨,¨,
.¨,.¨,,.¨.      forgotten. wild boars roaming       .¨.,,¨.,¨.
,¨.,¨..,,, underneath,  sniffing at  the ground. it ,,,..¨,.¨,
¨,¨...¨,¨. is  dark and  moist, the  canopy  having .¨,¨...¨,¨
¨,¨.¨.,.,¨ already   soaked   up   all   the   sun. ¨,.,.¨.¨,¨
.,¨.,¨.¨¨,                                          ,¨¨.¨,.¨,.
,¨¨,¨¨.,~~ there's  a river passing by,  from  east ~~,.¨¨,¨¨,
,,,,..¨.»* to west, getting broader and  deeper and *».¨..,,,,
,,.,,..~\^ slower  as it goes. equisetum grow  just ^\~..,,.,,
¨.¨.¨^-:$% where  the  pine  hands  start  to   let %$:-^¨.¨.¨
¨,¨¨^~:%*¤ through  light, horsemint  on the  rocky ¤*%:~^¨¨,¨
¨...~^†$&#                river bed.                #&$†^~...¨
¨,:-;=$@@#                                          #@@$=;-:,¨
.--;†%#¶##                    /                     ##¶#%†;--.
,,:~*%&§@#                                          #@§&%*~:,,
..¨,===@&¶ the riverbanks reek  of  magic.  tonight ¶&@===,¨..
¨¨.,,«*†$# they had been a swampworld  with  sylvan #$†*«,,.¨¨
¨¨...~~=%¤ water,  stone  rings and  floating moss. ¤%=~~...¨¨
...,.¨-«;† you  could've  found me wallowing around †;«-¨.,...
¨..¨¨.¨:»* on  the  southern  shores  until  i  got *»:¨.¨¨..¨
,¨.¨..,¨,»                 bitten.                  »,¨,..¨.¨,
¨¨.¨,,,.,~                                          ~,.,,,¨.¨¨
¨.,.,,.,,. but  now  i'm  further  back,  on  solid .,,.,,.,.¨
.,¨¨.¨,,,¨ ground, in shoulder-high grass, with  an ¨,,,¨.¨¨,.
.¨¨.¨¨¨.¨. orange  tin   radio  and  a  translucent .¨.¨¨¨.¨¨.
¨¨¨,,¨.,,.      umbrella which i'm sitting on.      .,,.¨,,¨¨¨
¨¨,¨¨.,,,¨                                          ¨,,,.¨¨,¨¨
¨..¨..¨,¨,                     ;                    ,¨,¨..¨..¨
,,.¨¨.¨¨.¨                                          ¨.¨¨.¨¨.,,
¨,,,¨¨,¨., somethings  moving  in the  grass.  it's ,.¨,¨¨,,,¨
.,¨.¨,,¨^- invisible to  my  eyes  but  i can  feel -^¨,,¨.¨,.
,.,¨,,.:»: through the ground just how large it is. :»:.,,¨,.,
,¨,¨,,-~\*                                          *\~-,,¨,¨,
....,,=*=£ the  soil  is muddy. i slip  when trying £=*=,,....
¨...,«:=*£ to   get   up,  still  looking   at  the £*=:«,...¨
,,,,»^§§@# direction of  sound  rather  than  at my #@§§^»,,,,
¨,~~†%$### hands, who  are  busy putting things  in ###$%†~~,¨
¨,~^$¤#¶##                my pockets.               ##¶#¤$^~,¨
,¨,~/*$£¶#                                          #¶£$*/~,¨,
,.¨:~†*§£¶ then  i   run   east   toward  my  home. ¶£§*†~:¨.,
¨,,¨~~:%&#                                          #&%:~~¨,,¨
,¨¨,.~«;$¤                     ;                    ¤$;«~.,¨¨,
.,¨,..,~/*                                          */~,..,¨,.
.¨¨....^=\ i am not followed, and  slow down in the \=^....¨¨.
,¨,,¨,,,^= clearing  where you  at  first can  spot =^,,,¨,,¨,
.¨¨¨,,,,,, the  house,   not   yet  really  in  the ,,,,,,¨¨¨.
.,¨¨,¨¨,,. backyard. from my pockets i retrieve  my .,,¨¨,¨¨,.
...,.¨,¨,¨ radio  (now  dented) but  also  a  small ¨,¨,¨.,...
..¨.¨,¨... clay figure i've never  seen  before. it ...¨,¨.¨..
.¨...,..¨, must have  been  laying in the wet dirt, ,¨..,...¨.
¨,,.,¨..,, and  i  must've  picked it  up  with  my ,,..¨,.,,¨
,¨¨¨¨,,¨..            other belongings.             ..¨,,¨¨¨¨,
.,.,..,.,¨                                          ¨,.,..,.,.
¨¨¨¨¨,..., it's  a statuette of a girl laying naked ,...,¨¨¨¨¨
..,¨..,.,~ on   her   stomach,  feet  in  the  air, ~,.,..¨,..
¨,.,.,¨,~\   roughly seven centimeters long. it's   \~,¨,.,.,¨
¨,,,¨.:»=$ freshly made,  not yet completely dried. $=»:.¨,,,¨
¨¨..,-==†¤                                          ¤†==-,..¨¨
..¨.^~†=$& my mom  is here now.  i ask her for some &$=†~^.¨..
,,,~-;$&#@ particle  board  for it  to dry  on, but @#&$;-~,,,
.¨^~^*@£@# she  is   worried   and   wants   me  to #@£@*^~^¨.
.~-:**&@##              throw it away.              ##@&**:-~.
,¨:==*@§@#                                          #@§@*==:¨,
.¨,~-/=@¤#                                          #¤@=/-~,¨.
,¨.¨^-=^&@                                          @&^=-^¨.¨,
,¨¨..~~^*&                                          &*^~~..¨¨,
,,¨,¨¨-«;%                                          %;«-¨¨,¨,,
..¨...¨,~^                                          ^~,¨...¨..