,,.,¨¨¨:~†                                          †~:¨¨¨,.,,
...¨¨¨,,^=                                          =^,,¨¨¨...
¨.,¨,,,-=*                                          *=-,,,¨,.¨
¨,¨,¨.~-\%                                          %\-~.¨,¨,¨
¨,,.,,~;*%                                          %*;~,,.,,¨
.,.,,»/*&¤                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   #@*^=«:,¨.
,,.,~=*$$¤ freshly made, not yet completely  dried. ¤$$*=~,.,,
.,.,,,~^†$                                          $†^~,,,.,.
¨¨.¨¨¨:=:^ my mom  is here now.  i ask her for some ^:=:¨¨¨.¨¨
¨.¨.,,.,»: particle  board  for  it  to dry on, but :»,.,,.¨.¨
,,,.,..¨,~ she  is  worried   and   wants   me   to ~,¨..,.,,,
,¨.,¨¨,^«:              throw it away.              :«^,¨¨,.¨,
.¨¨¨¨,^~†^                                          ^†~^,¨¨¨¨.
,.¨,,,-:%£                                          £%:-,,,¨.,
¨¨.¨,~=*§¤                                          ¤§*=~,¨.¨¨
¨¨.:»\%§¤@                                          @¤§%\»:.¨¨
,¨:«;^¤§£#                                          #£§¤^;«:¨,
,-~^$¤§@@#                                          #@@§¤$^~-,