.¨,..¨¨.,=                                          =,.¨¨..,¨.
,.¨.,¨.,»;                                          ;»,.¨,.¨.,
.¨.¨¨.^«=%                                          %=«^.¨¨.¨.
,..,¨^«\*£                                          £*\«^¨,..,
¨¨¨..«**$§                                          §$**«..¨¨¨
.,,.»**£§#                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 ¤$=;~-,.¨.
,..¨,.-\*§ hands,  who  are busy putting things  in §*\-.,¨..,
.,.,¨..»†%               my pockets.                %†»..¨,.,.
¨,¨.¨¨¨,~\                                          \~,¨¨¨.¨,¨
....,¨,.:» then   i  run   east  toward   my  home. »:.,¨,....
..,,¨.,..,                                          ,..,.¨,,..
¨,..,..¨¨¨                     ;                    ¨¨¨..,..,¨
,¨¨.,.¨¨,,                                          ,,¨¨.,.¨¨,
,¨,.¨,,,,» i am not  followed, and slow down in the »,,,,¨.,¨,
,¨.,¨.,~«= clearing  where  you  at first can  spot =«~,.¨,.¨,
¨...¨.,~:* the  house,  not  yet   really  in   the *:~,.¨...¨
¨¨....=\^% backyard. from my pockets i  retrieve my %^\=....¨¨
¨,.¨~«/%&§ radio  (now  dented)  but  also a  small §&%/«~¨.,¨
¨..~~/=¤¤# clay figure  i've  never seen before. it #¤¤=/~~..¨
.¨~-:§*¤@# must  have been  laying in the wet dirt, #@¤*§:-~¨.
,--*^£#@@# and  i  must've  picked  it up  with  my #@@#£^*--,
,¨.»†§&¤##            other belongings.             ##¤&§†».¨,
,¨.,»\%*£@                                          @£*%\»,.¨,
,,..^«*†£¤ it's  a statuette of a girl laying naked ¤£†*«^..,,
.¨¨.¨~=\†@ on  her   stomach,  feet  in  the   air, @†\=~¨.¨¨.
,..¨¨¨.-;=   roughly seven centimeters long. it's   =;-.¨¨¨..,
.¨.¨¨.¨^»= freshly made, not yet  completely dried. =»^¨.¨¨.¨.
¨¨,¨,,¨¨.~                                          ~.¨¨,,¨,¨¨
¨¨¨¨.¨¨¨.~ my mom is here now.  i  ask her for some ~.¨¨¨.¨¨¨¨
¨.¨,.,,¨.¨ particle  board  for  it to dry  on, but ¨.¨,,.,¨.¨
,,¨,.,,.¨, she   is  worried  and   wants   me   to ,¨.,,.,¨,,
.,,,¨..,,-              throw it away.              -,,..¨,,,.
,..¨,.,-»:                                          :»-,.,¨..,
,.¨¨,,,«^*                                          *^«,,,¨¨.,
¨,.,.^=/=%                                          %=/=^.,.,¨
.,,¨-»†%¤&                                          &¤%†»-¨,,.
..,.«;=§&£                                          £&§=;«.,..
.,,-*†$§@#                                          #@§$†*-,,.