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