..,¨,»^%$§                                          §$%^»,¨,..
,¨¨¨..~*=$                                          $=*~..¨¨¨,
.,,,,.:«\%                                          %\«:.,,,,.
..,¨.,,:~:                                          :~:,,.¨,..
,,.,,,¨,^«                                          «^,¨,,,.,,
.¨.¨¨.¨,.:                 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 $$:»~.,.,¨
¨,¨.¨.^«;=             other belongings.            =;«^.¨.¨,¨
,,¨...,-=;                                          ;=-,...¨,,
,,.¨.¨.,,- it's a statuette of a  girl laying naked -,,.¨.¨.,,
.,,,,¨,.,~ on  her   stomach,   feet  in  the  air, ~,.,¨,,,,.
.¨.,,¨.¨,.   roughly seven centimeters long. it's   .,¨.¨,,.¨.
¨.,,,¨,¨¨¨ freshly  made, not yet completely dried. ¨¨¨,¨,,,.¨
,.¨..¨,.,,                                          ,,.,¨..¨.,
.¨.¨...¨¨- my mom  is here now.  i ask her for some -¨¨...¨.¨.
.¨,¨¨,..-« particle  board  for  it to  dry on, but «-..,¨¨,¨.
¨,.¨,¨¨,«* she   is  worried   and  wants   me   to *«,¨¨,¨.,¨
¨,,¨¨,~=†^              throw it away.              ^†=~,¨¨,,¨
,¨,,.:~*$$                                          $$*~:.,,¨,
,.,.-~†^%&                                          &%^†~-.,.,
¨.,~=*§%@#                                          #@%§*=~,.¨
¨.,-\$%###                                          ###%$\-,.¨
¨^«;%§£@##                                          ##@£§%;«^¨
.,:~†%$@##                                          ##@$%†~:,.