,.¨¨,,.,,.                                          .,,.,,¨¨.,
¨,.¨,.,¨,¨                                          ¨,¨,.,¨.,¨
,.¨.,,..¨,                                          ,¨..,,.¨.,
,.¨.,¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨,.¨.,
.,..¨¨.,.,                                          ,.,.¨¨..,.
,¨,.¨.¨,,¨                 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.              .¨,,¨,¨:~^
~~..,¨.¨,,                                          ,,¨.¨,..~~
,¨,,,¨,,¨.                                          .¨,,¨,,,¨,
¨.,.....,¨                                          ¨,.....,.¨
¨.,¨,.¨,,.                                          .,,¨.,¨,.¨
,,¨.¨¨,.,,                                          ,,.,¨¨.¨,,
,.¨,¨.¨..¨                                          ¨..¨.¨,¨.,