,,,,.,.¨:~                                          ~:¨.,.,,,,
.,,¨..¨-~=                                          =~-¨..¨,,.
¨,¨,,¨-=:†                                          †:=-¨,,¨,¨
,¨..,,-:^$                                          $^:-,,..¨,
..¨¨-«^^&#                                          #&^^«-¨¨..
,,¨^-;†§@#                 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 @£*$^~^,,.
¨,.,,«/†%£ radio  (now  dented)  but  also a  small £%†/«,,.,¨
¨,,¨,,»*§% clay figure i've never seen  before.  it %§*»,,¨,,¨
,¨,¨,¨-=\§ must have been  laying  in the wet dirt, §\=-¨,¨,¨,
¨¨.¨,¨,^=\ and  i must've  picked  it  up  with  my \=^,¨,¨.¨¨
,,..,¨¨.:»             other belongings.            »:.¨¨,..,,
...,,¨,¨¨~                                          ~¨¨,¨,,...
....¨.,.¨, it's a statuette of a girl laying  naked ,¨.,.¨....
,,¨,¨.,,¨, on  her   stomach,  feet   in  the  air, ,¨,,.¨,¨,,
¨.....¨..¨   roughly seven centimeters long. it's   ¨..¨.....¨
,..¨..¨,., freshly  made, not yet completely dried. ,.,¨..¨..,
¨.,¨¨.¨.,¨                                          ¨,.¨.¨¨,.¨
¨¨.,¨,,¨¨. my mom is here  now. i ask  her for some .¨¨,,¨,.¨¨
¨¨¨,.¨,.,¨ particle  board  for  it  to dry on, but ¨,.,¨.,¨¨¨
¨.¨.¨¨,¨,: she   is  worried   and   wants  me   to :,¨,¨¨.¨.¨
,¨.,.¨¨¨~=              throw it away.              =~¨¨¨.,.¨,
...,,.¨-~;                                          ;~-¨.,,...
¨,¨,,,--:%                                          %:--,,,¨,¨
¨¨¨¨,-«;**                                          **;«-,¨¨¨¨
.,,,.«*§$@                                          @$§*«.,,,.
¨..,«==*¶#                                          #¶*==«,..¨
,.,~\%%£@#                                          #@£%%\~,.,