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