.,.¨,,,,¨,                                          ,¨,,,,¨.,.
,.,¨¨.,¨¨,                                          ,¨¨,.¨¨,.,
.,¨.¨¨,,..                                          ..,,¨¨.¨,.
,..¨,,.,.«                                          «.,.,,¨..,
,,.¨,,¨.==                                          ==.¨,,¨.,,
...¨¨¨.~^^                 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.              ,,.¨¨...,,
.¨¨,¨¨.,¨.                                          .¨,.¨¨,¨¨.
¨¨,.¨,,¨..                                          ..¨,,¨.,¨¨
¨.¨.,,¨,¨,                                          ,¨,¨,,.¨.¨
,¨¨.,¨,¨.,                                          ,.¨,¨,.¨¨,
¨.¨¨,,,,.¨                                          ¨.,,,,¨¨.¨
,¨,.¨,...¨                                          ¨...,¨.,¨,