¨¨¨¨.¨:«^^                                          ^^«:¨.¨¨¨¨
¨¨,...¨.»=                                          =».¨...,¨¨
,¨.,¨,¨..-                                          -..¨,¨,.¨,
..,¨,.¨.,^                                          ^,.¨.,¨,..
,¨.¨¨¨.¨,¨                                          ¨,¨.¨¨¨.¨,
,,.¨¨¨,,,~                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.              %\»,,...,,
,¨¨.¨.,,=†                                          †=,,.¨.¨¨,
,.¨,.,¨,:=                                          =:,¨,.,¨.,
.¨.,,,.¨.,                                          ,.¨.,,,.¨.
.¨¨,,¨.¨,¨                                          ¨,¨.¨,,¨¨.
¨,,...¨¨¨-                                          -¨¨¨...,,¨
.,¨,.,..:~                                          ~:..,.,¨,.