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