,.,.,.¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨.,.,.,
¨,,¨¨,,,.,                                          ,.,,,¨¨,,¨
.¨¨¨..¨¨.¨                                          ¨.¨¨..¨¨¨.
.,¨.,¨¨,.~                                          ~.,¨¨,.¨,.
,¨.,.¨.,,«                                          «,,.¨.,.¨,
.¨¨.¨.,^==                 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.              ###@§^»~¨.
,¨.,«:*£@#                                          #@£*:«,.¨,
.,.¨:«^^%#                                          #%^^«:¨.,.
¨.,,¨-«/*§                                          §*/«-¨,,.¨
¨,,¨¨.,«*^                                          ^*«,.¨¨,,¨
..,¨¨.¨.~/                                          /~.¨.¨¨,..
,¨¨.¨,..:-                                          -:..,¨.¨¨,