.¨¨,¨..,,^                                          ^,,..¨,¨¨.
¨,¨¨,....=                                          =....,¨¨,¨
¨¨¨..,,^«*                                          *«^,,..¨¨¨
,,¨¨,.,»:%                                          %:»,.,¨¨,,
¨,¨.,^~*=$                                          $=*~^,.¨,¨
¨.¨,,»;%$#                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.              £**=~,¨,,¨
,¨,,.¨-~†§                                          §†~-¨.,,¨,
,¨.,..,:~=                                          =~:,..,.¨,
..¨¨,.¨.,=                                          =,.¨.,¨¨..
¨,¨¨...¨,.                                          .,¨...¨¨,¨
,¨,,¨..¨..                                          ..¨..¨,,¨,
..,...¨,.¨                                          ¨.,¨...,..