.¨.,,¨¨.-~                                          ~-.¨¨,,.¨.
¨,.¨,,,-~†                                          †~-,,,¨.,¨
.¨.,¨,,»**                                          **»,,¨,.¨.
.,¨.¨,«=*£                                          £*=«,¨.¨,.
,,.¨,»=%§&                                          &§%=»,¨.,,
,.¨-~:†¤§@                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.              ¨¨.¨..¨.,,
¨.,,.¨,,¨¨                                          ¨¨,,¨.,,.¨
...,¨,,...                                          ...,,¨,...
..¨.¨,..¨.                                          .¨..,¨.¨..
,....,¨,¨¨                                          ¨¨,¨,....,
.¨.¨.,,,,:                                          :,,,,.¨.¨.
.¨¨..,¨.-«                                          «-.¨,..¨¨.