¨.,..,..,¨                                          ¨,..,..,.¨
.¨,¨¨,¨¨.^                                          ^.¨¨,¨¨,¨.
..,.,.¨¨^=                                          =^¨¨.,.,..
.,¨.¨¨.,~^                                          ^~,.¨¨.¨,.
.¨¨¨,.~-\%                                          %\-~.,¨¨¨.
,¨¨¨¨,»^§%                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.              ,¨..¨..¨..
.,..¨¨¨,.:                                          :.,¨¨¨..,.
¨¨,.¨¨...=                                          =...¨¨.,¨¨
,.¨.,,¨~«/                                          /«~¨,,.¨.,
,¨¨,,.^»;%                                          %;»^.,,¨¨,
¨¨¨,.,«†%&                                          &%†«,.,¨¨¨
¨.,,~~:†¤£                                          £¤†:~~,,.¨