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