.¨.¨,.¨..,                                          ,..¨.,¨.¨.
¨¨¨.¨.¨..,                                          ,..¨.¨.¨¨¨
.,,¨¨¨.¨¨,                                          ,¨¨.¨¨¨,,.
,,..¨¨¨.¨,                                          ,¨.¨¨¨..,,
¨¨¨,.¨.,..                                          ..,.¨.,¨¨¨
.,.¨.,...¨                 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.               %^;»,.,,,.
,,¨¨,..»\$                                          $\»..,¨¨,,
.¨.,.,¨~~* then  i   run   east  toward  my   home. *~~¨,.,.¨.
,¨,¨,¨¨.:-                                          -:.¨¨,¨,¨,
.,.¨¨,¨.¨~                    \                     ~¨.¨,¨¨.,.
¨¨¨¨¨,¨.,,                                          ,,.¨,¨¨¨¨¨
¨.,,¨¨.,¨, i  am not followed, and slow down in the ,¨,.¨¨,,.¨
.¨,¨.¨,,,, clearing where  you  at  first  can spot ,,,,¨.¨,¨.
¨,.¨¨,,.,, the   house,  not  yet  really  in   the ,,.,,¨¨.,¨
¨¨,,,¨¨,¨. backyard. from  my pockets i retrieve my .¨,¨¨,,,¨¨
.,.¨.¨,.., radio  (now  dented)  but  also a  small ,..,¨.¨.,.
.¨.¨,,,.,, clay figure  i've  never seen before. it ,,.,,,¨.¨.
¨,¨.....,, must  have been laying in the  wet dirt, ,,.....¨,¨
.¨.¨,,.¨,. and  i must've  picked  it  up  with  my .,¨.,,¨.¨.
¨,.¨¨....,            other belongings.             ,....¨¨.,¨
....,¨,¨,»                                          »,¨,¨,....
¨.,....^-: it's a statuette of a  girl laying naked :-^....,.¨
,,¨¨¨¨:«^= on  her  stomach,  feet   in   the  air, =^«:¨¨¨¨,,
,,,.¨.«^*£   roughly seven centimeters long. it's   £*^«.¨.,,,
¨,,,.»\%%¶ freshly made, not  yet completely dried. ¶%%\».,,,¨
¨.,~~=%£##                                          ##£%=~~,.¨
.,~»;%@@@# my  mom is  here now. i ask her for some #@@@%;»~,.
¨-«*%£@### particle board for  it  to  dry  on, but ###@£%*«-¨
¨.^«††¤#@# she   is   worried  and   wants  me   to #@#¤††«^.¨
,¨.^=/*§##              throw it away.              ##§*/=^.¨,
,,,.-»;%$@                                          @$%;»-.,,,
¨,.,,.«=*$                                          $*=«.,,.,¨
,.....,~**                                          **~,.....,
.¨.¨.,¨^-;                                          ;-^¨,.¨.¨.
¨¨,,,.,..~                                          ~..,.,,,¨¨
.,¨,¨.¨,.^                                          ^.,¨.¨,¨,.