,,¨¨,-†%££                                          ££%†-,¨¨,,
¨¨.,,.~\*%                                          %*\~.,,.¨¨
¨,,.,.~-\%                                          %\-~.,.,,¨
...¨¨,¨,-:                                          :-,¨,¨¨...
....,¨¨¨:»                                          »:¨¨¨,....
,.,,,¨,.¨-                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.              ££†;~:...,
,.,¨¨:-^*$                                          $*^-:¨¨,.,
¨¨,¨,,,~;^                                          ^;~,,,¨,¨¨
,,¨¨.,.-~;                                          ;~-.,.¨¨,,
,,,¨.¨.¨~~                                          ~~¨.¨.¨,,,
¨¨,,.,.,,~                                          ~,,.,.,,¨¨
,.¨....¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨....¨.,