,¨,~^*§@##                                          ##@§*^~,¨,
¨,¨^~^=£§¶                                          ¶§£=^~^¨,¨
,¨.¨.«†%££                                          ££%†«.¨.¨,
,.¨¨.,-^^*                                          *^^-,.¨¨.,
,,...¨-«\%                                          %\«-¨...,,
.¨¨,.,,^»*                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.              «,....,.¨¨
¨...,.¨,,,                                          ,,,¨.,...¨
.,,¨,,¨,,¨                                          ¨,,¨,,¨,,.
,¨,.¨.,¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨,.¨.,¨,
¨¨.,¨.¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨.¨,.¨¨
.,¨¨.¨¨,.,                                          ,.,¨¨.¨¨,.
..,,¨¨..,¨                                          ¨,..¨¨,,..