¨¨,,~;%%§¶                                          ¶§%%;~,,¨¨
,.,,,-**§¤                                          ¤§**-,,,.,
¨,¨¨,.=;*$                                          $*;=.,¨¨,¨
¨¨.¨..,«=%                                          %=«,..¨.¨¨
¨¨,...¨~==                                          ==~¨...,¨¨
.¨.¨¨¨¨¨:~                 statuette                ~:¨¨¨¨¨.¨.
.,¨¨¨,¨¨.^                                          ^.¨¨,¨¨¨,.
....,,,¨,¨ ¤§*$*$$$%§$@&££%-»-»«»»~§§$$%£%$*§£$§**% ¨,¨,,,....
.,,.,¨,,..                @¤§£$£§££                 ..,,¨,.,,.
¨.¨.,.,¨^»                                          »^¨,.,.¨.¨
..¨¨¨¨,.== forests  around my childhood home. thick ==.,¨¨¨¨..
.....¨.==$ 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. §$^/~^,,.,
,¨,.~†=$@#                                          #@$=†~.,¨,
¨,,»/†¤&## my mom is here now.  i ask her  for some ##&¤†/»,,¨
.:==^%#### particle board  for  it to dry  on,  but ####%^==:.
.,:-†§%§#@ she  is   worried   and  wants   me   to @#§%§†-:,.
.,¨-~\$*¤#              throw it away.              #¤*$\~-¨,.
,.¨,-=\*@@                                          @@*\=-,¨.,
.,..¨,«†^¤                                          ¤^†«,¨..,.
..,.¨..~/*                                          */~..¨.,..
,¨.¨,,.--=                                          =--.,,¨.¨,
,¨,¨¨,,.-«                                          «-.,,¨¨,¨,
¨¨,.¨,.¨¨:                                          :¨¨.,¨.,¨¨