¨¨¨,,.,»:%                                          %:»,.,,¨¨¨
.¨¨,.¨,,=†                                          †=,,¨.,¨¨.
¨,¨,¨,,,:=                                          =:,,,¨,¨,¨
,,.¨¨,,.,^                                          ^,.,,¨¨.,,
,,,..,.¨-»                                          »-¨.,..,,,
,.¨¨,,,-~†                 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.             §£$^-^¨,,¨
,,,¨,^~:%¤                                          ¤%:~^,¨,,,
¨¨¨,..,»†* it's a statuette of  a girl laying naked *†»,..,¨¨¨
.¨¨.¨.¨,=: on  her  stomach,   feet  in  the   air, :=,¨.¨.¨¨.
¨.¨.¨,¨¨,~   roughly seven centimeters long. it's   ~,¨¨,¨.¨.¨
¨,,¨,,.,¨: freshly made,  not yet completely dried. :¨,.,,¨,,¨
,.¨¨¨¨.¨.«                                          «.¨.¨¨¨¨.,
..¨,.,,:~\ my mom is here now. i  ask  her for some \~:,,.,¨..
¨.,¨.,-»;* particle  board for  it to  dry  on, but *;»-,.¨,.¨
,..,¨.=:^% she  is   worried   and   wants   me  to %^:=.¨,..,
.,,,,~\§%&              throw it away.              &%§\~,,,,.
¨¨..«:*§@@                                          @@§*:«..¨¨
,¨,=:§$&#@                                          @#&$§:=,¨,
¨^«††@££##                                          ##££@††«^¨
¨.,«\$&¤@#                                          #@¤&$\«,.¨
...:~;*%@£                                          £@%*;~:...
,¨¨¨.»\†@&                                          &@†\».¨¨¨,