,.,¨.,¨..¨                                          ¨..¨,.¨,.,
¨.¨.¨,¨,,,                                          ,,,¨,¨.¨.¨
.,,¨,¨.¨¨.                                          .¨¨.¨,¨,,.
.¨..,.¨¨¨.                                          .¨¨¨.,..¨.
..¨,¨.¨..¨                                          ¨..¨.¨,¨..
.¨,...,,..                 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.              ,,.¨,..,,¨
,..,,¨.,.¨                                          ¨.,.¨,,..,
,.,¨,¨,,.¨                                          ¨.,,¨,¨,.,
¨,,.¨.,¨..                                          ..¨,.¨.,,¨
..¨.,¨¨¨.¨                                          ¨.¨¨¨,.¨..
,,¨,,,.,,,                                          ,,,.,,,¨,,
.¨¨,,,¨,.¨                                          ¨.,¨,,,¨¨.