¨,..,:~†$§                                          §$†~:,..,¨
,¨.,,,,~^*                                          *^~,,,,.¨,
,¨,.,,.~~^                                          ^~~.,,.,¨,
..,,,.¨,.~                                          ~.,¨.,,,..
¨...,¨.,,~                                          ~,,.¨,...¨
¨,.¨¨,¨¨..                 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 $;=^..¨..,
¨..¨,^«*%§              throw it away.              §%*«^,¨..¨
.,,¨.=;=§§                                          §§=;=.¨,,.
¨¨..~:%$¤¶                                          ¶¤$%:~..¨¨
,¨^=\=§&##                                          ##&§=\=^¨,
,^-*^$&£##                                          ##£&$^*-^,
,¨,~;$*&£@                                          @£&*$;~,¨,
...,~==§¤£                                          £¤§==~,...