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