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