¨,¨.,¨,-†$                                          $†-,¨,.¨,¨
¨¨.,..,~-/                                          /-~,..,.¨¨
.,¨¨..¨.:=                                          =:.¨..¨¨,.
,¨,¨,.,..:                                          :..,.,¨,¨,
,,,.¨¨¨¨..                                          ..¨¨¨¨.,,,
.,¨,¨....~                 statuette                ~....¨,¨,.
,.,¨,¨,¨,«                                          «,¨,¨,¨,.,
.¨,,.,¨,~* %&£$@§@%&£§§$$££-=«»=«~=$§%$@%¤%£§%&§*%¤ *~,¨,.,,¨.
,¨¨,,.,«^§                 §%%&%$§%§                §^«,.,,¨¨,
,.,.¨:-^†&                                          &†^-:¨.,.,
,.,,~-:=§@ forests around my childhood  home. thick @§=:-~,,.,
.,,.~^$@## 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.              %\=^,.,¨.¨
..¨¨....»;                                          ;»....¨¨..
.,..,,¨.~=                                          =~.¨,,..,.
¨..,,.¨.¨,                                          ,¨.¨.,,..¨
.¨¨¨..,,.¨                                          ¨.,,..¨¨¨.
,¨,.¨.¨,,-                                          -,,¨.¨.,¨,
,.,..¨¨.^»                                          »^.¨¨..,.,