.,¨¨¨..,^=                                          =^,..¨¨¨,.
¨¨..¨..,«^                                          ^«,..¨..¨¨
.¨¨¨.¨^«:^                                          ^:«^¨.¨¨¨.
.....:=*%£                                          £%*=:.....
,.¨.,~\%§@                                          @§%\~,.¨.,
,.,--=†$#¶                 statuette                ¶#$†=--,.,
¨..=†§$§##                                          ##§$§†=..¨
.~~^^£££@# §&§££§%£%£*%%%@@~««-»«-~§%$$§¤¤$%¤£&*$&¤ #@£££^^~~.
,¨.~\=¤&##                 ¤$£$£$&*@                ##&¤=\~.¨,
¨.¨--*†$£¶                                          ¶£$†*--¨.¨
,,.¨-»†%£# forests  around my childhood home. thick #£%†»-¨.,,
,¨¨.,~=;$& 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.              ,¨¨.¨,.,.¨
,¨¨¨,¨.¨..                                          ..¨.¨,¨¨¨,
,.,.¨,,,,.                                          .,,,,¨.,.,
¨,¨.,,¨¨¨,                                          ,¨¨¨,,.¨,¨
,.¨¨¨,,¨..                                          ..¨,,¨¨¨.,
,.¨.¨¨¨,¨~                                          ~¨,¨¨¨.¨.,
,,¨¨,¨¨¨~=                                          =~¨¨¨,¨¨,,