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