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