,.¨,.¨,¨^=                                          =^¨,¨.,¨.,
,¨,¨¨,¨:»†                                          †»:¨,¨¨,¨,
¨..,.¨-==%                                          %==-¨.,..¨
¨¨.,.^~\$@                                          @$\~^.,.¨¨
...,-«;†%¤                                          ¤%†;«-,...
,.¨.»\%$£#                 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 #§&%=~,.,,
.,,~*^$###              throw it away.              ###$^*~,,.
¨.~\%$£###                                          ###£$%\~.¨
.¨,«;*%§##                                          ##§%*;«,¨.
,.¨:-/$%##                                          ##%$/-:¨.,
¨.,.-«†^%£                                          £%^†«-.,.¨
¨.,,¨^«:^£                                          £^:«^¨,,.¨
.,¨,.,^«:*                                          *:«^,.,¨,.