...,¨.,.¨¨                                          ¨¨.,.¨,...
..,,¨,..,¨                                          ¨,..,¨,,..
¨¨,.,.¨¨.,                                          ,.¨¨.,.,¨¨
¨,.¨¨¨.¨^-                                          -^¨.¨¨¨.,¨
¨¨.,..,,~†                                          †~,,..,.¨¨
¨¨.,,.:=:%                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.              ...,¨,¨¨,,
,¨.¨,¨,..¨                                          ¨..,¨,¨.¨,
¨,¨.,,¨.¨~                                          ~¨.¨,,.¨,¨
,¨.,¨¨¨,,«                                          «,,¨¨¨,.¨,
.,..¨¨..»\                                          \»..¨¨..,.
¨..¨.¨,=†%                                          %†=,¨.¨..¨
¨¨¨,¨,~^%%                                          %%^~,¨,¨¨¨