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