¨,..¨..~†§                                          §†~..¨..,¨
,¨,,,:~;%@                                          @%;~:,,,¨,
¨,,,.»/%@@                                          @@%/».,,,¨
¨,¨:-\$*@#                                          #@*$\-:¨,¨
,..~*†£¶##                                          ##¶£†*~..,
,~»/*&£###                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 ###¶£*/»:,
,,.»*^$###              throw it away.              ###$^*».,,
,,,-»/$%@#                                          #@%$/»-,,,
,.¨.,=/§$#                                          #$§/=,.¨.,
,,¨¨¨~«/†§                                          §†/«~¨¨¨,,
,¨¨..¨:~;=                                          =;~:¨..¨¨,
,.,..¨¨-«\                                          \«-¨¨..,.,
¨.,¨,.¨.^«                                          «^.¨.,¨,.¨