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