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