,¨.,.¨¨~»=                                          =»~¨¨.,.¨,
..¨¨¨¨^-/%                                          %/-^¨¨¨¨..
..¨.,,=†$$                                          $$†=,,.¨..
¨...:~\†&¤                                          ¤&†\~:...¨
.¨,--\^£@@                                          @@£^\--,¨.
.¨.-*^£££#                 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.              ¨.,,.¨,¨,.
.¨¨.....,¨                                          ¨,.....¨¨.
¨¨,¨.¨....                                          ....¨.¨,¨¨
¨.,,,¨.,¨¨                                          ¨¨,.¨,,,.¨
¨.,,,,.¨,-                                          -,¨.,,,,.¨
,..¨,,..^~                                          ~^..,,¨..,
,,¨.¨.¨,»†                                          †»,¨.¨.¨,,