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