.,,,..¨¨¨.                                          .¨¨¨..,,,.
¨¨¨.,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,.¨¨¨
¨....,,,.,                                          ,.,,,....¨
¨,.,.¨¨¨¨.                                          .¨¨¨¨.,.,¨
..¨¨.,¨,,-                                          -,,¨,.¨¨..
,¨¨......-                 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 #¤$**»:¨.,
.¨,..«;§@§ clearing where  you  at  first can  spot §@§;«..,¨.
...,,:«\*£ the  house,   not  yet  really  in   the £*\«:,,...
¨.¨.¨¨~~:^ backyard. from  my pockets i retrieve my ^:~~¨¨.¨.¨
¨¨¨.¨,,,»: radio  (now  dented) but  also  a  small :»,,,¨.¨¨¨
.¨¨..¨.,-- clay figure  i've never seen before.  it --,.¨..¨¨.
¨,,,¨.,.,, must have  been  laying in the wet dirt, ,,.,.¨,,,¨
¨.¨,.,..,¨ and  i  must've  picked  it up  with  my ¨,..,.,¨.¨
.,.¨..¨.¨.            other belongings.             .¨.¨..¨.,.
¨.,¨.,¨.,¨                                          ¨,.¨,.¨,.¨
,,¨,,¨..,: it's a statuette of a  girl laying naked :,..¨,,¨,,
,,.¨,...-» on  her   stomach,  feet  in  the   air, »-...,¨.,,
.,,,¨.,,-=   roughly seven centimeters long. it's   =-,,.¨,,,.
,,.,.¨^«:^ freshly  made, not yet completely dried. ^:«^¨.,.,,
...,,,-=^$                                          $^=-,,,...
,,.¨^-=%%¤ my mom is here  now.  i ask her for some ¤%%=-^¨.,,
.¨¨--†%£¤# particle  board for it  to dry  on,  but #¤£%†--¨¨.
,.^«^%@¤@# she  is   worried   and   wants   me  to #@¤@%^«^.,
.,«†*%¤###              throw it away.              ###¤%*†«,.
¨¨,-^§%&##                                          ##&%§^-,¨¨
.¨¨~-/**§#                                          #§**/-~¨¨.
.,¨¨^~\$¤#                                          #¤$\~^¨¨,.
¨¨.¨,~«:=£                                          £=:«~,¨.¨¨
,,,.¨.,«:§                                          §:«,.¨.,,,
.¨¨¨¨.¨-~\                                          \~-¨.¨¨¨¨.