,.,,,¨^~/=                                          =/~^¨,,,.,
,,....,,-†                                          †-,,....,,
¨..¨¨¨¨..~                                          ~..¨¨¨¨..¨
¨,..,,.,.:                                          :.,.,,..,¨
.¨¨,.,..,,                                          ,,..,.,¨¨.
.¨¨..¨,.¨.                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 *;»^.¨¨,,.
,..,,-=†$$ she   is   worried   and   wants  me  to $$†=-,,..,
.¨¨¨.»/§$£              throw it away.              £$§/».¨¨¨.
,¨¨~»†*§£@                                          @£§*†»~¨¨,
.,,«:†%@##                                          ##@%†:«,,.
¨,~;=$£###                                          ###£$=;~,¨
.,-»^†%£##                                          ##£%†^»-,.
..,.«=*%¶#                                          #¶%*=«.,..
¨¨.,--:§%@                                          @%§:--,.¨¨