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