¨¨,,¨.,¨,,                                          ,,¨,.¨,,¨¨
.¨,.¨.¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨.¨.,¨.
....¨¨,.¨,                                          ,¨.,¨¨....
.¨¨..,¨,^~                                          ~^,¨,..¨¨.
,¨¨,.,.:«=                                          =«:.,.,¨¨,
,.¨¨.¨.~/§                 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.              .¨.¨,,¨¨.¨
.¨.¨.,,...                                          ...,,.¨.¨.
,¨¨,,¨.,,,                                          ,,,.¨,,¨¨,
,¨...¨,¨.¨                                          ¨.¨,¨...¨,
,.,.¨,.¨.,                                          ,.¨.,¨.,.,
¨¨.¨,,....                                          ....,,¨.¨¨
¨....¨,¨,,                                          ,,¨,¨....¨