,.¨,..~**%                                          %**~..,¨.,
.¨..,,,~\^                                          ^\~,,,..¨.
...,.¨,.=†                                          †=.,¨.,...
..,,.¨¨¨,-                                          -,¨¨¨.,,..
¨¨.¨¨.,,.:                                          :.,,.¨¨.¨¨
.¨.,¨¨,.¨.                 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.              @$^-:¨..¨.
,,.,.,--:%                                          %:--,.,.,,
,¨.,¨,¨~=*                                          *=~¨,¨,.¨,
.,,..,..,~                                          ~,..,..,,.
.,.¨...,.:                                          :.,...¨.,.
¨¨¨¨,,,¨,¨                                          ¨,¨,,,¨¨¨¨
,¨¨.,,¨¨,,                                          ,,¨¨,,.¨¨,