,.¨.,.:~=†                                          †=~:.,.¨.,
¨.¨.,.¨:~=                                          =~:¨.,.¨.¨
,,.,.¨,¨~=                                          =~¨,¨.,.,,
,,,¨..¨,¨:                                          :¨,¨..¨,,,
¨¨,¨.,..¨¨                                          ¨¨..,.¨,¨¨
,,,.¨.,¨,,                 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.            ##@§$=«...
,..,-/^&¤@                                          @¤&^/-,..,
,.¨,~=^=%§ it's a statuette of  a girl laying naked §%=^=~,¨.,
,..,.~~/=% on  her  stomach,   feet   in  the  air, %=/~~.,..,
.¨¨...-~**   roughly seven centimeters long. it's   **~-...¨¨.
,.,¨,,¨,»/ freshly made, not  yet completely dried. /»,¨,,¨,.,
,,.,¨,¨¨^~                                          ~^¨¨,¨,.,,
,.,¨.¨,,¨, my  mom is here now. i ask her for  some ,¨,,¨.¨,.,
...,.¨¨.,. particle  board for it  to  dry  on, but .,.¨¨.,...
¨.,¨,..,¨¨ she  is   worried   and   wants  me   to ¨¨,..,¨,.¨
¨¨.¨,¨.¨.¨              throw it away.              ¨.¨.¨,¨.¨¨
.,.,.¨¨¨¨,                                          ,¨¨¨¨.,.,.
¨,,¨,,.¨,-                                          -,¨.,,¨,,¨
,.,..,¨.=*                                          *=.¨,..,.,
¨.,¨,.-=:%                                          %:=-.,¨,.¨
,,.¨,,=:^£                                          £^:=,,¨.,,
..,,~«^*$¤                                          ¤$*^«~,,..