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