,.¨,..¨,¨¨                                          ¨¨,¨..,¨.,
,¨¨,¨,.,,¨                                          ¨,,.,¨,¨¨,
¨.¨¨,,¨,..                                          ..,¨,,¨¨.¨
,,¨.,..¨.,                                          ,.¨..,.¨,,
¨,,¨..,..¨                                          ¨..,..¨,,¨
.¨,¨¨...¨,                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.              ¨.,¨,¨¨¨,¨
,¨,,.¨¨..¨                                          ¨..¨¨.,,¨,
,,,,.¨¨,¨¨                                          ¨¨,¨¨.,,,,
..¨,..,.¨.                                          .¨.,..,¨..
,..,.,,,¨,                                          ,¨,,,.,..,
¨,.,¨.¨.¨.                                          .¨.¨.¨,.,¨
¨¨....¨.,,                                          ,,.¨....¨¨