...¨¨....,                                          ,....¨¨...
¨,..,¨¨..¨                                          ¨..¨¨,..,¨
.¨.,¨¨¨.¨,                                          ,¨.¨¨¨,.¨.
,¨,.¨,.¨..                                          ..¨.,¨.,¨,
¨,,¨¨..,¨.                                          .¨,..¨¨,,¨
¨,¨¨,....¨                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.              .¨¨.,.¨,.,
.¨,.,,¨,,¨                                          ¨,,¨,,.,¨.
¨..¨..,.¨,                                          ,¨.,..¨..¨
..,,..,,..                                          ..,,..,,..
¨,,,.¨,¨..                                          ..¨,¨.,,,¨
,¨,,,¨,,¨,                                          ,¨,,¨,,,¨,
¨,.¨,,.,.,                                          ,.,.,,¨.,¨