,¨...¨,,¨.                                          .¨,,¨...¨,
¨..,..¨¨¨.                                          .¨¨¨..,..¨
.¨.,¨,¨.,¨                                          ¨,.¨,¨,.¨.
.,.,.,¨.,,                                          ,,.¨,.,.,.
..,,..¨¨.,                                          ,.¨¨..,,..
¨.¨,,¨¨.¨,                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.              -,.¨¨¨,¨.,
,.¨..¨¨,¨¨                                          ¨¨,¨¨..¨.,
¨..,.¨¨,¨.                                          .¨,¨¨.,..¨
....¨,.,¨.                                          .¨,.,¨....
.,¨.¨.¨¨,¨                                          ¨,¨¨.¨.¨,.
,..¨,¨,¨,¨                                          ¨,¨,¨,¨..,
..¨,,,¨¨,.                                          .,¨¨,,,¨..