,,,..¨.=†*                                          *†=.¨..,,,
¨¨¨.¨,¨--^                                          ^--¨,¨.¨¨¨
,¨,¨¨..¨,=                                          =,¨..¨¨,¨,
,....,.¨.,                                          ,.¨.,....,
.¨,.,.¨,¨¨                                          ¨¨,¨.,.,¨.
.,.,¨..¨,.                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.              ¨.,¨,.¨¨,,
¨,¨¨¨..¨¨:                                          :¨¨..¨¨¨,¨
,..,,.,.-~                                          ~-.,.,,..,
,¨,,.¨,^-=                                          =-^,¨.,,¨,
..¨,..^«*%                                          %*«^..,¨..
....¨.=/%@                                          @%/=.¨....
,,¨,~-;*%£                                          £%*;-~,¨,,