,.,,¨¨,,,~                                          ~,,,¨¨,,.,
,,.¨¨,..,,                                          ,,..,¨¨.,,
¨¨,.¨.¨¨,,                                          ,,¨¨.¨.,¨¨
.,.¨.¨,¨..                                          ..¨,¨.¨.,.
...,¨.,¨.~                                          ~.¨,.¨,...
¨.,¨¨¨,,-*                 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 #@¶@%=;-¨¨
.«:$%¤¶@##              throw it away.              ##@¶¤%$:«.
¨¨~/§%#@##                                          ##@#%§/~¨¨
,¨,-^%£@¶@                                          @¶@£%^-,¨,
¨,..-:%$§@                                          @§$%:-..,¨
¨,¨¨,»=%&&                                          &&%=»,¨¨,¨
.¨,¨,¨~†**                                          **†~¨,¨,¨.
.,.,,,.=:†                                          †:=.,,,.,.