,.....,,.^                                          ^.,,.....,
..,¨...¨¨,                                          ,¨¨...¨,..
.¨,.¨¨¨,,.                                          .,,¨¨¨.,¨.
¨¨.¨¨¨,,,¨                                          ¨,,,¨¨¨.¨¨
.¨.¨,,.¨,.                                          .,¨.,,¨.¨.
.,.,,¨.,..                 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 #@&$$==:,.
..¨^~:†&¤¶ direction  of  sound  rather than at  my ¶¤&†:~^¨..
,¨.¨-»/%£§ hands,  who are busy putting  things  in §£%/»-¨.¨,
¨,¨¨,,-†%¤                my pockets.               ¤%†-,,¨¨,¨
.¨,¨¨,^«:%                                          %:«^,¨¨,¨.
,,.¨,.¨.«; then   i   run  east  toward  my   home. ;«.¨.,¨.,,
,.,¨¨,,..«                                          «..,,¨¨,.,
,.,¨.¨.,¨-                     \                    -¨,.¨.¨,.,
.¨.,,.,,,,                                          ,,,,.,,.¨.
,.,,¨,¨¨,¨ i am not  followed, and slow down in the ¨,¨¨,¨,,.,
¨,¨,¨,¨... clearing  where you  at  first  can spot ...¨,¨,¨,¨
,¨,¨...,¨¨ the  house,  not  yet   really  in   the ¨¨,...¨,¨,
,¨.,,¨,¨.¨ backyard. from my pockets i  retrieve my ¨.¨,¨,,.¨,
¨,¨¨.¨,¨,. radio  (now  dented) but  also  a  small .,¨,¨.¨¨,¨
¨¨¨.¨,¨¨,, clay figure i've never  seen  before. it ,,¨¨,¨.¨¨¨
.,,.¨.,¨¨¨ must have been laying  in the wet  dirt, ¨¨¨,.¨.,,.
,,¨,.¨.,,. and i  must've  picked  it  up  with  my .,,.¨.,¨,,
.¨¨..,.,¨.             other belongings.            .¨,.,..¨¨.
.¨,..,,,~~                                          ~~,,,..,¨.
¨.¨¨.,.^-= it's a statuette of  a girl laying naked =-^.,.¨¨.¨
,...¨,-«^^ on  her  stomach,   feet  in   the  air, ^^«-,¨...,
¨....^»;%*   roughly seven centimeters long. it's   *%;»^....¨
.¨,,.~=*£§ freshly made,  not yet completely dried. §£*=~.,,¨.
¨.,:~\%$¤#                                          #¤$%\~:,.¨
¨,,«;*$#@# my  mom is here now.  i ask her for some #@#$*;«,,¨
,:=^*£@### particle board for  it to  dry  on,  but ###@£*^=:,
¨..~\$@&@# she   is   worried   and   wants  me  to #@&@$\~..¨
.¨¨-=†%§£¶              throw it away.              ¶£§%†=-¨¨.
,.,¨-«^^*£                                          £*^^«-¨,.,
.,...,~^$$                                          $$^~,...,.
,¨..,,-»*%                                          %*»-,,..¨,
..¨,..¨:~/                                          /~:¨..,¨..
.,¨.,¨,.:«                                          «:.,¨,.¨,.
.,..¨¨,¨¨,                                          ,¨¨,¨¨..,.