,¨,¨¨¨¨.,«                                          «,.¨¨¨¨,¨,
¨¨.¨.,¨¨¨-                                          -¨¨¨,.¨.¨¨
,...,,,,¨,                                          ,¨,,,,...,
..¨.,,¨,,,                                          ,,,¨,,.¨..
,¨¨¨,.¨.,,                                          ,,.¨.,¨¨¨,
¨,¨,,,,..¨                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.              ¨,.,¨,...¨
,.,¨,¨.,¨:                                          :¨,.¨,¨,.,
¨¨.,¨..¨,=                                          =,¨..¨,.¨¨
,,...¨¨~=^                                          ^=~¨¨...,,
,.,,..~===                                          ===~..,,.,
,¨¨,.~«:^@                                          @^:«~.,¨¨,
..,.,-;^*#                                          #*^;-,.,..