,,¨,.¨,¨,~                                          ~,¨,¨.,¨,,
.,.¨.,,,»;                                          ;»,,,.¨.,.
,¨,.¨,~»*^                                          ^*»~,¨.,¨,
.¨,¨.:»/=*                                          *=/»:.¨,¨.
,¨,.~-^=§#                                          #§=^-~.,¨,
.,.-«/§£&#                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 ##¤$*/-,,¨
.,~\=§¤@## she  is   worried   and   wants   me  to ##@¤§=\~,.
¨¨.~/^*£##              throw it away.              ##£*^/~.¨¨
¨¨¨.«:*$##                                          ##$*:«.¨¨¨
¨¨,¨:~\**@                                          @**\~:¨,¨¨
...,,.«/%&                                          &%/«.,,...
,.¨,¨,-«=^                                          ^=«-,¨,¨.,
¨,,¨,¨,~»\                                          \»~,¨,¨,,¨
.,.,.¨,,:~                                          ~:,,¨.,.,.