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