¨.¨¨.¨.¨¨.                                          .¨¨.¨.¨¨.¨
¨¨,,....,.                                          .,....,,¨¨
,¨¨.¨,,.¨.                                          .¨.,,¨.¨¨,
,..¨,,.¨,¨                                          ¨,¨.,,¨..,
¨..¨¨...,.                                          .,...¨¨..¨
¨¨.,¨,,¨.¨                 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.              £*:«,,,¨.,
,¨,¨¨,:»**                                          **»:,¨¨,¨,
¨,,..¨,-«\                                          \«-,¨..,,¨
¨,.,¨¨...~                                          ~...¨¨,.,¨
..,,¨.,,¨,                                          ,¨,,.¨,,..
¨...¨,,¨.¨                                          ¨.¨,,¨...¨
,.¨.¨¨,,,.                                          .,,,¨¨.¨.,