,.,....,,=                                          =,,....,.,
,¨.¨,¨,.,^                                          ^,.,¨,¨.¨,
.¨.,,¨.¨,»                                          »,¨.¨,,.¨.
,,¨¨.,.,~†                                          †~,.,.¨¨,,
.¨,.¨.,«*†                                          †*«,.¨.,¨.
¨.¨.,.=*§$                 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.              #@££^=«~¨¨
.-~*%$§@##                                          ##@§$%*~-.
¨¨.«/$§###                                          ###§$/«.¨¨
.,,~-/*£#@                                          @#£*/-~,,.
.¨¨.,=;%££                                          ££%;=,.¨¨.
.¨¨.,,»^*§                                          §*^»,,.¨¨.
.,¨¨¨.-==$                                          $==-.¨¨¨,.