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