..¨,.¨..,-                                          -,..¨.,¨..
,¨¨,¨¨¨.«/                                          /«.¨¨¨,¨¨,
¨.,,.¨:~†$                                          $†~:¨.,,.¨
¨....^=\†$                                          $†\=^....¨
,,¨¨,~:†¤&                                          &¤†:~,¨¨,,
,.,:=*^$£#                 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.              ..,.¨¨¨,¨,
¨¨,,..¨,.,                                          ,.,¨..,,¨¨
¨,¨¨...,..                                          ..,...¨¨,¨
,¨.,,,,.,.                                          .,.,,,,.¨,
¨,.¨,,.¨,,                                          ,,¨.,,¨.,¨
,,,¨¨,¨...                                          ...¨,¨¨,,,
¨,¨.¨.¨.~«                                          «~.¨.¨.¨,¨