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