,,¨¨¨,¨,¨~                                          ~¨,¨,¨¨¨,,
..,¨,¨.,.,                                          ,.,.¨,¨,..
.,.¨¨¨.¨¨^                                          ^¨¨.¨¨¨.,.
.,¨,..¨¨,»                                          »,¨¨..,¨,.
¨¨..,,¨-«\                                          \«-¨,,..¨¨
¨¨¨,¨..-^$                 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.              .,.¨¨,¨.¨,
¨.¨..,.¨..                                          ..¨.,..¨.¨
.¨.,¨,.¨.,                                          ,.¨.,¨,.¨.
,.,,,,..:~                                          ~:..,,,,.,
¨.¨..,.,«\                                          \«,.,..¨.¨
,,¨,¨¨,-\=                                          =\-,¨¨,¨,,
¨¨,¨¨,=^^%                                          %^^=,¨¨,¨¨