,,¨¨.¨:~=^                                          ^=~:¨.¨¨,,
,¨.,..¨.~=                                          =~.¨..,.¨,
,¨,,,.¨,-~                                          ~-,¨.,,,¨,
.,.¨,.,,,~                                          ~,,,.,¨.,.
,¨¨¨¨¨,¨..                                          ..¨,¨¨¨¨¨,
,,,..,,¨..                 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.              *:~-.,,,,,
..,¨¨...~†                                          †~...¨¨,..
.¨¨.,.,.-«                                          «-.,.,.¨¨.
¨.¨,,.,,.,                                          ,.,,.,,¨.¨
,¨,¨.¨.¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨.¨.¨,¨,
,.,,,.,.,,                                          ,,.,.,,,.,
,¨,.¨,,,¨.                                          .¨,,,¨.,¨,