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