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