.,..¨¨..«*                                          *«..¨¨..,.
.¨,,¨,^«;*                                          *;«^,¨,,¨.
,,.,,.«;*£                                          £*;«.,,.,,
..¨,,~;%%#                                          #%%;~,,¨..
.,..-*†%#@                                          @#%†*-..,.
¨¨^»/§$§¶#                 statuette                #¶§$§/»^¨¨
¨--^$$§¶##                                          ##¶§$$^--¨
¨¨~~=%&#@@ §%&¤$$%%££§%¤££%»-~~=»=~$$%@*@%%**¤*&£¤@ @@#&%=~~¨¨
,.,~«;*$££                 %¤££¤$£@$                ££$*;«~,.,
..¨¨~~:^££                                          ££^:~~¨¨..
.¨¨,¨,-†*£ forests around my  childhood home. thick £*†-,¨,¨¨.
.¨.¨,¨~»/* pine   arcades  that  were  planted  and */»~¨,¨.¨.
,,.,¨¨.--=       forgotten. wild boars roaming      =--.¨¨,.,,
...¨,¨¨¨^~ underneath, sniffing at  the ground.  it ~^¨¨¨,¨...
,,¨.,.¨¨.. is  dark  and moist,  the canopy  having ..¨¨.,.¨,,
.,,,¨¨.,.¨ already   soaked   up   all   the   sun. ¨.,.¨¨,,,.
,...,.,,¨¨                                          ¨¨,,.,...,
,,¨¨¨¨¨,,¨ there's a river  passing  by,  from east ¨,,¨¨¨¨¨,,
,¨¨¨,¨.,.¨ to west, getting broader  and deeper and ¨.,.¨,¨¨¨,
,¨,,,,,.., slower as it goes.  equisetum  grow just ,..,,,,,¨,
,¨,¨¨.¨,¨. where   the  pine  hands  start  to  let .¨,¨.¨¨,¨,
.¨,¨¨,,¨~« through light,  horsemint  on the  rocky «~¨,,¨¨,¨.
¨,¨..,.^-=                river bed.                =-^.,..¨,¨
,...,.:~\%                                          %\~:.,...,
¨,¨¨.,-\†¤                    /                     ¤†\-,.¨¨,¨
..,¨-«^%*§                                          §*%^«-¨,..
..¨~~=†%¤¶ the riverbanks  reek of  magic.  tonight ¶¤%†=~~¨..
.¨-«**$##@ 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 #$%/«^¨,¨.
¨¨.^~/*%&@ particle board  for  it  to dry on,  but @&%*/~^.¨¨
,,,~;*£@## she   is   worried   and  wants  me   to ##@£*;~,,,
¨,-;%&@#@#              throw it away.              #@#@&%;-,¨
¨.-=*%$§#@                                          @#§$%*=-.¨
..,-«;†£&#                                          #&£†;«-,..
¨¨.¨~~†*££                                          ££*†~~¨.¨¨
.¨..¨.~†$%                                          %$†~.¨..¨.
¨.,.,..»^%                                          %^»..,.,.¨
¨,.¨,¨.:~=                                          =~:.¨,¨.,¨