¨.¨¨..,,¨.                                          .¨,,..¨¨.¨
¨,.¨,¨¨¨¨-                                          -¨¨¨¨,¨.,¨
,¨,.¨.¨¨,~                                          ~,¨¨.¨.,¨,
¨¨,..¨,.~\                                          \~.,¨..,¨¨
¨¨¨.¨,,-†*                                          *†-,,¨.¨¨¨
.¨,..^~:*£                 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 $§;»^¨.¨..
¨,,,,,~=/*            other belongings.             */=~,,,,,¨
¨,¨.,,¨-~*                                          *~-¨,,.¨,¨
.¨,,.¨.¨,= it's  a statuette of a girl laying naked =,¨.¨.,,¨.
,.,,,¨¨.,. on  her  stomach,   feet  in  the   air, .,.¨¨,,,.,
¨¨...¨,,.¨   roughly seven centimeters long. it's   ¨.,,¨...¨¨
,¨.,¨¨,,¨¨ freshly  made, not yet completely dried. ¨¨,,¨¨,.¨,
,¨.¨,¨.¨¨.                                          .¨¨.¨,¨.¨,
,.¨..,,.,¨ my mom is here now.  i  ask her for some ¨,.,,..¨.,
¨¨.¨...¨,, particle board  for  it  to dry  on, but ,,¨...¨.¨¨
.,¨¨,,.,¨¨ she   is  worried   and   wants   me  to ¨¨,.,,¨¨,.
,¨¨.....,.              throw it away.              .,.....¨¨,
....¨..¨..                                          ..¨..¨....
¨,,,¨.¨.,~                                          ~,.¨.¨,,,¨
¨,,.,.,~«^                                          ^«~,.,.,,¨
.¨,....~†=                                          =†~....,¨.
¨..,¨~«\†$                                          $†\«~¨,..¨
¨,,.,«:%¤&                                          &¤%:«,.,,¨