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