¨,..¨.¨,~*                                          *~,¨.¨..,¨
,.,,¨,,-†*                                          *†-,,¨,,.,
,¨¨¨¨--:=&                                          &=:--¨¨¨¨,
¨¨.,-«=$§¤                                          ¤§$=«-,.¨¨
..¨.=*=¤#¶                                          ¶#¤=*=.¨..
,,~»:§%§@#                 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.              #@%§;=-,.¨
,,¨.,~:†£#                                          #£†:~,.¨,,
,,.,,:~*†@                                          @†*~:,,.,,
¨.¨¨,.^«;*                                          *;«^.,¨¨.¨
¨.,,,..,~:                                          :~,..,,,.¨
¨,.,¨,..,«                                          «,..,¨,.,¨
.¨¨¨..,..-                                          -..,..¨¨¨.