¨¨,¨.¨¨¨,~                                          ~,¨¨¨.¨,¨¨
..,¨.¨¨-»*                                          *»-¨¨.¨,..
.,,.,¨^«††                                          ††«^¨,.,,.
¨.¨..~==†*                                          *†==~..¨.¨
¨¨,.^»;*@#                                          #@*;»^.,¨¨
¨.¨^==*£¤¶                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.              ##£¤%;-,.,
,..,«^%%£#                                          #£%%^«,..,
.¨..~=;%%¤                                          ¤%%;=~..¨.
,,¨,.:«=%¤                                          ¤%=«:.,¨,,
¨¨.¨¨.^=*=                                          =*=^.¨¨.¨¨
¨,,,,,¨^~;                                          ;~^¨,,,,,¨
...,,..¨-«                                          «-¨..,,...