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