,¨,...~~\=                                          =\~~...,¨,
,...¨¨.~»*                                          *»~.¨¨...,
,,,.,,,¨,«                                          «,¨,,,.,,,
.,....,,.,                                          ,.,,....,.
.¨¨,.,¨,,¨                                          ¨,,¨,.,¨¨.
..¨¨¨.,..¨                 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, $†/«~¨¨.¨.
¨.,¨..-~/%   roughly seven centimeters long. it's   %/~-..¨,.¨
..,.,,,^»† freshly made, not yet  completely dried. †»^,,,.,..
¨,.¨¨¨¨,,~                                          ~,,¨¨¨¨.,¨
¨¨.,,,,.,^ my  mom  is here now. i ask her for some ^,.,,,,.¨¨
.,..,..¨.¨ particle board  for  it  to  dry on, but ¨.¨..,..,.
,¨.,¨,..,¨ she   is  worried   and   wants   me  to ¨,..,¨,.¨,
¨¨¨¨.¨¨,¨¨              throw it away.              ¨¨,¨¨.¨¨¨¨
¨,¨,,,,¨.¨                                          ¨.¨,,,,¨,¨
..¨¨¨..¨..                                          ..¨..¨¨¨..
¨...¨¨.,,-                                          -,,.¨¨...¨
,,.¨,¨¨.~~                                          ~~.¨¨,¨.,,
..,¨¨.,.-;                                          ;-.,.¨¨,..
¨¨,.¨¨:~†$                                          $†~:¨¨.,¨¨