.,....¨.,.                                          .,.¨....,.
.,.,¨,.,,,                                          ,,,.,¨,.,.
,¨¨¨¨¨¨..,                                          ,..¨¨¨¨¨¨,
,¨,..,..-=                                          =-..,..,¨,
,.¨,,.,,»^                                          ^»,,.,,¨.,
,.,.,¨~~†*                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 $^;»,.¨¨¨¨
.¨.¨¨.,»:* clay figure  i've never seen before.  it *:»,.¨¨.¨.
¨...,,¨:«† must have  been laying  in the wet dirt, †«:¨,,...¨
,¨,¨,¨.,,~ and i  must've  picked  it  up  with  my ~,,.¨,¨,¨,
...,¨¨.,¨,             other belongings.            ,¨,.¨¨,...
¨¨,¨..¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨..¨,¨¨
..,.,¨¨.¨, it's a statuette of a  girl laying naked ,¨.¨¨,.,..
¨¨¨,¨,.,¨, on   her  stomach,  feet  in   the  air, ,¨,.,¨,¨¨¨
..,,,¨¨.,,   roughly seven centimeters long. it's   ,,.¨¨,,,..
..,,¨,.,¨¨ freshly made, not yet completely  dried. ¨¨,.,¨,,..
¨,.¨¨....:                                          :....¨¨.,¨
.,,,.,.¨~» my mom is here now. i  ask  her for some »~¨.,.,,,.
¨.,,,..:=^ particle  board for it to  dry  on,  but ^=:..,,,.¨
¨¨..,,^~*% she   is   worried   and   wants  me  to %*~^,,..¨¨
..¨¨.,«***              throw it away.              ***«,.¨¨..
¨,¨.:~/§£&                                          &£§/~:.¨,¨
¨¨¨:~*%$&#                                          #&$%*~:¨¨¨
¨.:~:=¤#@@                                          @@#¤=:~:.¨
¨,=:*£¤###                                          ###¤£*:=,¨
¨.,»^%£@#@                                          @#@£%^»,.¨
¨,¨,»**$£@                                          @£$**»,¨,¨