¨¨¨¨.-*$$@                                          @$$*-.¨¨¨¨
¨,¨,,~-\%$                                          $%\-~,,¨,¨
¨,¨,..-«**                                          **«-..,¨,¨
,..,¨,.^«;                                          ;«^.,¨,..,
,..,.¨,.,»                                          »,.,¨.,..,
¨.¨..¨,¨.-                statuette                 -.¨,¨..¨.¨
¨¨¨,.¨,¨.¨                                          ¨.¨,¨.,¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨.¨,¨,¨ @&%$£@*£&&&%£$*%«=»«»~«~%¤%£$*%*£&££*%$& ¨,¨,¨.¨¨¨¨
.¨¨,¨,,...                 %£&&%@%¤*                ...,,¨,¨¨.
..¨¨,¨,¨.,                                          ,.¨,¨,¨¨..
,¨¨.¨.,.,¨ forests  around my childhood home. thick ¨,.,.¨.¨¨,
,,,.,¨.,., pine  arcades  that  were  planted   and ,.,.¨,.,,,
¨,¨.¨¨,.,.      forgotten. wild boars roaming       .,.,¨¨.¨,¨
,,.¨,..,., underneath,  sniffing at  the ground. it ,.,..,¨.,,
..,,...,.= is dark and  moist,  the  canopy  having =.,...,,..
¨,..,¨.,«/ already   soaked   up   all   the   sun. /«,.¨,..,¨
,.,¨,¨~«^$                                          $^«~¨,¨,.,
..¨¨,:«\†¤ there's  a river passing by,  from  east ¤†\«:,¨¨..
¨,.¨,«^^&@ to west, getting broader and  deeper and @&^^«,¨.,¨
,¨,,=††*§¶ slower  as it goes. equisetum  grow just ¶§*††=,,¨,
¨¨.»†^§&@@ where  the   pine  hands  start  to  let @@&§^†».¨¨
,~«\†£&### through light, horsemint  on  the  rocky ###&£†\«~,
¨,^»*=¤#¶@                river bed.                @¶#¤=*»^,¨
¨¨,,»/$%£#                                          #£%$/»,,¨¨
.¨¨¨.«†%@&                    *                     &@%†«.¨¨¨.
.¨.¨.,«^†%                                          %†^«,.¨.¨.
.,,¨..~-^% the  riverbanks reek of  magic.  tonight %^-~..¨,,.
,.,,,¨.,~: they  had been a swampworld with  sylvan :~,.¨,,,.,
¨.¨¨¨.¨¨^~ water,  stone  rings and floating  moss. ~^¨¨.¨¨¨.¨
..¨.,¨,.,^ you could've  found  me wallowing around ^,.,¨,.¨..
..¨¨¨,¨,,, on  the  southern  shores  until  i  got ,,,¨,¨¨¨..
.,,.¨,,¨,,                  bitten.                 ,,¨,,¨.,,.
¨,,,.....,                                          ,.....,,,¨
.,.,.,¨.,. but  now  i'm  further  back,  on  solid .,.¨,.,.,.
,,,,¨¨,¨¨. ground,  in shoulder-high grass, with an .¨¨,¨¨,,,,
.¨¨,¨,,.¨. orange  tin  radio  and   a  translucent .¨.,,¨,¨¨.
,,,..,.,¨.      umbrella which i'm sitting on.      .¨,.,..,,,
¨¨..¨¨.,¨~                                          ~¨,.¨¨..¨¨
¨¨¨.,,¨¨-»                    \                     »-¨¨,,.¨¨¨
¨¨.,,¨¨,=\                                          \=,¨¨,,.¨¨
,.,¨,,:«^% somethings  moving  in  the grass.  it's %^«:,,¨,.,
,.¨¨¨~~/†% invisible  to  my eyes  but  i can  feel %†/~~¨¨¨.,
.¨.,^«/=%@ through the ground just how large it is. @%=/«^,.¨.
..,,~;^§§#                                          #§§^;~,,..
.,.=*%%£@# the soil  is muddy.  i slip when  trying #@£%%*=.,.
,-~*%*@### to   get  up,  still   looking   at  the ###@*%*~-,
.¨^-/^§&£# direction  of  sound  rather  than at my #£&§^/-^¨.
,,.^~/*¤#£ hands, who are  busy  putting  things in £#¤*/~^.,,
¨¨..^=:%$@               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.              #*§†--.,.¨
¨...¨.~††%                                          %††~.¨...¨
......:=^†                                          †^=:......
.¨...¨.~»*                                          *»~.¨...¨.
......¨.^~                                          ~^.¨......
,¨..,¨,,,^                                          ^,,,¨,..¨,
,,,.¨¨¨,..                                          ..,¨¨¨.,,,