¨¨¨,-~\%%@                                          @%%\~-,¨¨¨
,¨¨¨¨^=^**                                          **^=^¨¨¨¨,
,¨¨,¨¨-=;†                                          †;=-¨¨,¨¨,
.¨,¨,.¨,«†                                          †«,¨.,¨,¨.
.,¨,,¨.,-=                                          =-,.¨,,¨,.
.,...,,.¨:                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 ###&$%:»,,
..:«/†£@@# radio  (now  dented) but  also  a  small #@@£†/«:..
..,-»^=%@@ clay  figure i've never seen before.  it @@%=^»-,..
¨,..:-\^&¤ must have been laying in the  wet  dirt, ¤&^\-:..,¨
¨¨¨.¨,«=^@ and  i  must've  picked it  up  with  my @^=«,¨.¨¨¨
¨.,¨...~;%             other belongings.            %;~...¨,.¨
,,,..¨¨,«/                                          /«,¨¨..,,,
¨¨.,,.¨..- it's  a statuette of a girl laying naked -..¨.,,.¨¨
,,¨¨¨,,¨,, on   her  stomach,   feet  in  the  air, ,,¨,,¨¨¨,,
,,¨¨.,.¨..   roughly seven centimeters long. it's   ..¨.,.¨¨,,
,,¨¨.,..,, freshly  made, not yet completely dried. ,,..,.¨¨,,
..¨¨.¨.,.,                                          ,.,.¨.¨¨..
.,.¨.¨.,,, my mom is  here now.  i ask her for some ,,,.¨.¨.,.
,.¨,..¨.~~ particle  board for  it to dry  on,  but ~~.¨..,¨.,
..,¨.¨¨.«; she  is   worried   and  wants   me   to ;«.¨¨.¨,..
,.,,¨,-~\%              throw it away.              %\~-,¨,,.,
,,.¨¨.«/†§                                          §†/«.¨¨.,,
,.,.:-:†$&                                          &$†:-:.,.,
,,¨,==$¤&@                                          @&¤$==,¨,,
,¨^«;=£§##                                          ##§£=;«^¨,
¨~=:*§§###                                          ###§§*:=~¨
¨,^«;%%@##                                          ##@%%;«^,¨