..,¨.¨,:-†                                          †-:,¨.¨,..
,¨.¨.,.=:†                                          †:=.,.¨.¨,
,,.¨¨-=^$£                                          £$^=-¨¨.,,
.,,,-«†%$£                                          £$%†«-,,,.
,¨,:-†*££#                                          #££*†-:,¨,
.,,»^%§¤##                 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.              :--,¨.,,¨,
¨,¨.¨.¨¨.«                                          «.¨¨.¨.¨,¨
¨,,.,,,.¨.                                          .¨.,,,.,,¨
...¨¨,.,,,                                          ,,,.,¨¨...
.,¨¨,¨.¨.,                                          ,.¨.¨,¨¨,.
.,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,                                          ,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,.
,.¨¨¨¨,..^                                          ^..,¨¨¨¨.,