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