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