¨,¨.,,~=†=                                          =†=~,,.¨,¨
,¨¨..-=:*¤                                          ¤*:=-..¨¨,
,¨¨,.=†%¤#                                          #¤%†=.,¨¨,
,.¨^~/$§£#                                          #£§$/~^¨.,
,,-~=^$¤##                                          ##¤$^=~-,,
¨^~/§%¤@##                 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.              ##§$*/»~,.
.,,,==$%£@                                          @£%$==,,,.
,..¨~-=%¤¤                                          ¤¤%=-~¨..,
¨,¨.¨:~=†$                                          $†=~:¨.¨,¨
,¨¨,..~=†%                                          %†=~..,¨¨,
.¨,,¨,,-«^                                          ^«-,,¨,,¨.
¨.,,,¨¨¨-«                                          «-¨¨¨,,,.¨