.,,¨¨,¨,--                                          --,¨,¨¨,,.
,,.,¨..¨..                                          ..¨..¨,.,,
¨.,.,,¨¨..                                          ..¨¨,,.,.¨
,..¨....,^                                          ^,....¨..,
¨.¨.,.,¨.~                                          ~.¨,.,.¨.¨
.,,.,¨.-»\                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.              «,.,,¨,¨..
,¨..¨,¨.,,                                          ,,.¨,¨..¨,
¨.,¨.,....                                          ....,.¨,.¨
,¨¨.,¨,.¨-                                          -¨.,¨,.¨¨,
¨¨¨.,,.,^=                                          =^,.,,.¨¨¨
.,..¨.¨-«†                                          †«-¨.¨..,.
¨.,....»^%                                          %^»....,.¨