.¨.,...,.,                                          ,.,...,.¨.
,.¨¨.¨¨¨,,                                          ,,¨¨¨.¨¨.,
,¨,¨......                                          ......¨,¨,
¨¨,,¨,,,..                                          ..,,,¨,,¨¨
.,.,,¨.,,¨                                          ¨,,.¨,,.,.
,.,¨.,¨,,.                 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.              ¨,.,.¨.¨¨.
..¨¨,,¨¨,¨                                          ¨,¨¨,,¨¨..
¨¨..¨¨¨,.,                                          ,.,¨¨¨..¨¨
¨.,,,.¨¨,.                                          .,¨¨.,,,.¨
¨,,,¨,,¨,¨                                          ¨,¨,,¨,,,¨
¨,.¨¨.,¨¨:                                          :¨¨,.¨¨.,¨
.,,¨¨,¨.-~                                          ~-.¨,¨¨,,.