,,..¨.¨.,~                                          ~,.¨.¨..,,
,¨.,.,.¨,-                                          -,¨.,.,.¨,
.¨¨.¨,,,«*                                          *«,,,¨.¨¨.
,.,¨.,.»/%                                          %/».,.¨,.,
,¨,.¨-~*§@                                          @§*~-¨.,¨,
,,.,~~\=$£                statuette                 £$=\~~,.,,
¨¨¨:~†%¤§£                                          £§¤%†~:¨¨¨
,¨-~†%£#@# *$&¤@$&@*££¤@§$¤~-«-«»~»$$*§%¤&&£*$§¤£$£ #@#£%†~-¨,
,,-\*¤@###                 @$%%¤@@&&                ###@¤*\-,,
..,~\=%&¶#                                          #¶&%=\~,..
,¨.-=*†*#@ forests around my  childhood home. thick @#*†*=-.¨,
¨,¨,~-;%*¤ pine   arcades  that  were  planted  and ¤*%;-~,¨,¨
,.¨..~-/*@      forgotten. wild boars roaming       @*/-~..¨.,
,,¨¨¨¨-=/* underneath, sniffing at the  ground.  it */=-¨¨¨¨,,
¨,..,,.,-^ is  dark and  moist,  the canopy  having ^-,.,,..,¨
...,¨.¨..« already   soaked   up   all   the   sun. «..¨.¨,...
¨,,,,,,¨..                                          ..¨,,,,,,¨
¨..¨,.¨.,, there's a river passing  by,  from  east ,,.¨.,¨..¨
..¨,,,.¨¨, to west, getting broader  and deeper and ,¨¨.,,,¨..
,¨,.,,,¨¨. slower as  it goes. equisetum grow  just .¨¨,,,.,¨,
.,.,,¨¨.¨, where  the  pine  hands   start  to  let ,¨.¨¨,,.,.
.¨.,..,¨,, through light,  horsemint  on  the rocky ,,¨,..,.¨.
¨¨..¨,.,.,                river bed.                ,.,.,¨..¨¨
,,.¨¨,..~»                                          »~..,¨¨.,,
¨¨.¨¨¨.^~†                    ^                     †~^.¨¨¨.¨¨
.,,,,,,-:=                                          =:-,,,,,,.
.,,¨¨.«;*$ the  riverbanks reek of  magic.  tonight $*;«.¨¨,,.
,..¨:-:†%¤ they had  been a  swampworld with sylvan ¤%†:-:¨..,
,..-»/*%#@ water, stone  rings  and  floating moss. @#%*/»-..,
¨¨:~^%¤£## you  could've found me  wallowing around ##£¤%^~:¨¨
,,=†=%¤£@# on  the  southern  shores  until  i  got #@£¤%=†=,,
..,~\§$&¶#                 bitten.                  #¶&$§\~,..
,.,,=/*££¶                                          ¶££*/=,,.,
¨,.¨~~/§%§ but  now  i'm  further  back,  on  solid §%§/~~¨.,¨
¨.,..^»=$$ 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.              ¶&$^^«,¨¨,
.,,»††$&#@                                          @#&$††»,,.
¨~-*^%@#@#                                          #@#@%^*-~¨
..^-/**&##                                          ##&**/-^..
,,.^»/%$@£                                          £@$%/»^.,,
.,.,-~=%§£                                          £§%=~-,.,.
.¨¨,¨-~†§$                                          $§†~-¨,¨¨.