,.¨...¨,,-                                          -,,¨...¨.,
,.¨.,.,,»;                                          ;»,,.,.¨.,
.,¨.,¨^-=*                                          *=-^¨,.¨,.
.,¨¨,-»\%£                                          £%\»-,¨¨,.
¨,,,:-\*£§                                          §£*\-:,,,¨
¨¨,^«\†@£@                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.              -,,..,,,,.
.,,.¨,.~~=                                          =~~.,¨.,,.
¨.¨¨.,^«†*                                          *†«^,.¨¨.¨
,..¨¨~=^%*                                          *%^=~¨¨..,
¨.,..-:*%#                                          #%*:-..,.¨
,¨.,~:*@¤¶                                          ¶¤@*:~,.¨,
.,^=*%%&¶#                                          #¶&%%*=^,.