.¨.,..,¨,:                                          :,¨,..,.¨.
¨¨,,.¨,¨,.                                          .,¨,¨.,,¨¨
.¨,¨.,¨...                                          ...¨,.¨,¨.
..¨..,.,.¨                                          ¨.,.,..¨..
.¨.,¨.,,¨,                                          ,¨,,.¨,.¨.
.,..¨,.,¨.                 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 ###£†=~,.¨
,¨.,~;$§£#              throw it away.              #£§$;~,.¨,
,¨,.,~\†¤#                                          #¤†\~,.,¨,
¨¨¨¨.,«^$%                                          %$^«,.¨¨¨¨
,..¨..^-\§                                          §\-^..¨..,
¨,¨.¨,¨^=;                                          ;=^¨,¨.¨,¨
...¨,.,,^=                                          =^,,.,¨...
¨,,.,,,¨,~                                          ~,¨,,,.,,¨