..,..,¨¨..                                          ..¨¨,..,..
,,,¨.,¨¨,.                                          .,¨¨,.¨,,,
,.,¨.,..,.                                          .,..,.¨,.,
.¨,¨..¨,.,                                          ,.,¨..¨,¨.
.¨.¨,¨,.,,                                          ,,.,¨,¨.¨.
..,..,¨¨..                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.              †=,¨..,,¨¨
....¨¨¨.,-                                          -,.¨¨¨....
..¨,¨,¨,,.                                          .,,¨,¨,¨..
,,.,,..,.,                                          ,.,..,,.,,
...,.¨¨.¨.                                          .¨.¨¨.,...
¨¨,¨,..¨.,                                          ,.¨..,¨,¨¨
¨¨..,,.¨,.                                          .,¨.,,..¨¨