.,.¨.:~^$#                                          #$^~:.¨.,.
,.¨,--;%##                                          ##%;--,¨.,
.¨,,»:%@##                                          ##@%:»,,¨.
¨,^=/%§###                                          ###§%/=^,¨
,-«*&¤£###                                          ###£¤&*«-,
,¨^=*$@@##                 statuette                ##@@$*=^¨,
¨¨.,«/£&@@                                          @@&£/«,.¨¨
,...,=**&# £*¤§¤@££¤¤@%§%%@«»«-»~~-%$*££§§£@@&$%$£¤ #&**=,...,
.¨,¨,^=^%#                @*%%%$%@¤                 #%^=^,¨,¨.
,..,,.,~=%                                          %=~,.,,..,
.,,,.¨,:»/ 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 ###@$†«~.¨
.-~/&££### the  house,  not  yet   really  in   the ###££&/~-.
.¨,=/@#¶## backyard. from my  pockets i retrieve my ##¶#@/=,¨.
¨,.-~=££#@ radio  (now  dented)  but  also  a small @#££=~-.,¨
.,,.:»\&§# clay  figure i've never seen before.  it #§&\»:.,,.
...¨¨,-†§§ must  have been laying in the  wet dirt, §§†-,¨¨...
,,.....~*£ and  i must've  picked  it  up  with  my £*~.....,,
¨¨,,¨..^=\            other belongings.             \=^..¨,,¨¨
¨¨,,,,¨,,~                                          ~,,¨,,,,¨¨
¨¨.¨¨,,,¨, it's a  statuette of a girl laying naked ,¨,,,¨¨.¨¨
¨¨..¨.,,,¨ on  her  stomach,  feet   in  the   air, ¨,,,.¨..¨¨
.¨¨¨,.¨,,¨   roughly seven centimeters long. it's   ¨,,¨.,¨¨¨.
¨,¨¨¨¨¨,¨¨ freshly  made, not yet completely dried. ¨¨,¨¨¨¨¨,¨
¨¨¨¨,¨,.¨,                                          ,¨.,¨,¨¨¨¨
....,¨.¨.. my mom is  here now. i ask her for  some ..¨.¨,....
¨.,,,,.¨,, particle board for  it  to  dry  on, but ,,¨.,,,,.¨
.,,¨.¨.,¨. she   is   worried  and   wants  me   to .¨,.¨.¨,,.
¨¨¨¨¨.¨,,¨              throw it away.              ¨,,¨.¨¨¨¨¨
.¨,¨,,..¨,                                          ,¨..,,¨,¨.
¨..,¨.,.¨:                                          :¨.,.¨,..¨
,¨¨¨.¨..-»                                          »-..¨.¨¨¨,
.....¨¨,~:                                          :~,¨¨.....
,,.,,,:»†%                                          %†»:,,,.,,
¨,¨,,-~†$£                                          £$†~-,,¨,¨