..,.,¨.,,,                                          ,,,.¨,.,..
,,¨.¨¨.¨,.                                          .,¨.¨¨.¨,,
,.,¨,.,,.,                                          ,.,,.,¨,.,
¨¨,,,,,,¨~                                          ~¨,,,,,,¨¨
¨¨,,¨,¨.,«                                          «,.¨,¨,,¨¨
.¨..,,,-=\                 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.              ,.¨.¨¨.¨¨¨
¨¨.¨..¨..,                                          ,..¨..¨.¨¨
¨,.¨.¨¨.,,                                          ,,.¨¨.¨.,¨
..,,.,.,.^                                          ^.,.,.,,..
,¨.¨.,¨¨,=                                          =,¨¨,.¨.¨,
¨...,...~^                                          ^~...,...¨
,,,¨,.:~=%                                          %=~:.,¨,,,