¨¨¨¨.,.¨,¨                                          ¨,¨.,.¨¨¨¨
.,¨¨,.....                                          .....,¨¨,.
.,¨...¨,,¨                                          ¨,,¨...¨,.
.,..¨¨,,.,                                          ,.,,¨¨..,.
¨,,.,,¨..~                                          ~..¨,,.,,¨
¨¨.¨¨,.~=†                 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.              ,.¨¨¨..,,¨
.¨¨.¨¨¨,¨.                                          .¨,¨¨¨.¨¨.
.¨¨.,,.,,.                                          .,,.,,.¨¨.
,,.¨.¨¨,..                                          ..,¨¨.¨.,,
¨..¨..,,~«                                          «~,,..¨..¨
..¨¨,¨,,-;                                          ;-,,¨,¨¨..
,¨,¨.¨,~;%                                          %;~,¨.¨,¨,