,¨¨¨,¨¨,,-                                          -,,¨¨,¨¨¨,
.¨¨,,,,¨.~                                          ~.¨,,,,¨¨.
..¨,,.¨.,¨                                          ¨,.¨.,,¨..
¨.,,.¨¨,.,                                          ,.,¨¨.,,.¨
.¨,¨¨¨¨¨,,                                          ,,¨¨¨¨¨,¨.
,,¨,.¨,,,¨                 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.              -,¨¨,..¨,,
¨¨.,¨,¨¨¨,                                          ,¨¨¨,¨,.¨¨
¨,.....¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨.....,¨
¨..,,,¨.¨.                                          .¨.¨,,,..¨
..,,.,¨,¨,                                          ,¨,¨,.,,..
.¨¨.,.¨¨¨,                                          ,¨¨¨.,.¨¨.
.,,.,¨.¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨.¨,.,,.