,,.¨..,^-;                                          ;-^,..¨.,,
¨,,¨..-»*%                                          %*»-..¨,,¨
,.,..:«††£                                          £††«:..,.,
,,..~==$££                                          ££$==~..,,
¨.,:~*^*@£                                          £@*^*~:,.¨
,.~»*=$###                statuette                 ###$=*»~.,
,,-=†£&###                                          ###&£†=-,,
.,~-†*&### §¤%$£&£%*$%&*@¤$~«=-=~~-%*&¤£$&%%£*$@@&% ###&*†-~,.
.¨¨^=/=@££                %$¤$£%$¤£                 ££@=/=^¨¨.
.,¨¨~=^^*§                                          §*^^=~¨¨,.
.,.,,-»:$$ forests around my childhood  home. thick $$:»-,,.,.
..¨¨¨,^~** 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. ^\=-,¨.¨,¨
.,.,¨~==%$                                          $%==~¨,.,.
...,:«:^¤£ my mom is here now.  i ask her  for some £¤^:«:,...
,¨,-»\$¤## particle board for  it  to dry  on,  but ##¤$\»-,¨,
.,^~=%$#¶# she  is   worried  and   wants   me   to #¶#$%=~^,.
.^=;*$£¶##              throw it away.              ##¶£$*;=^.
¨.^«:$££¶#                                          #¶££$:«^.¨
,,¨^~/*%£#                                          #£%*/~^¨,,
¨¨,¨.=:^%¤                                          ¤%^:=.¨,¨¨
,¨¨.¨:»:^%                                          %^:»:¨.¨¨,
¨,..,.~»/=                                          =/»~.,..,¨
¨.,¨¨.¨~-\                                          \-~¨.¨¨,.¨