¨,¨,.~=%*§                                          §*%=~.,¨,¨
.,¨-~**¤@#                                          #@¤**~-¨,.
..,-†*$§@@                                          @@§$*†-,..
.,=*†$£#@#                                          #@#£$†*=,.
¨¨,«=$$&¶@                                          @¶&$$=«,¨¨
,,,-~\%%¤@                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.              ¨¨,.¨¨,,¨.
.¨¨¨,..¨..                                          ..¨..,¨¨¨.
¨.,.,¨.,,,                                          ,,,.¨,.,.¨
.¨¨...,¨,~                                          ~,¨,...¨¨.
,....¨.¨-=                                          =-¨.¨....,
,,.....^=/                                          /=^.....,,
,,¨¨...=\*                                          *\=...¨¨,,