¨.,,,..,¨,                                          ,¨,..,,,.¨
¨¨.,..,.^~                                          ~^.,..,.¨¨
,¨¨.¨¨,:»:                                          :»:,¨¨.¨¨,
,.,.¨,,-=§                                          §=-,,¨.,.,
,.¨¨..~\^£                                          £^\~..¨¨.,
.,¨.^~†$%@                 statuette                @%$†~^.¨,.
¨,,-«/=$##                                          ##$=/«-,,¨
,..«=^%&## ¤$*&@%$£%§£%$£%¤»~~»=~-»$@¤%£@%$&§¤$¤¤&£ ##&%^=«..,
,.«†=££@##                §@$§$$$&*                 ##@££=†«.,
..^-/^%&@#                                          #@&%^/-^..
,¨,:~*%&&# 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.              ^,.¨¨¨.,¨¨
,¨¨,.¨,,^»                                          »^,,¨.,¨¨,
.¨¨,.¨¨~~†                                          †~~¨¨.,¨¨.
¨,¨,.,^~\=                                          =\~^,.,¨,¨
.....-«*§£                                          £§*«-.....
,,¨..~/§%&                                          &%§/~..¨,,
,¨.-~**£@#                                          #@£**~-.¨,