.¨¨,.¨,,.,                                          ,.,,¨.,¨¨.
.¨.¨.¨,,.-                                          -.,,¨.¨.¨.
...¨,¨¨¨.~                                          ~.¨¨¨,¨...
¨,¨.,,,,~/                                          /~,,,,.¨,¨
.¨¨,..^~^*                                          *^~^..,¨¨.
,¨.¨.:~†§§                 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.              ..¨..,,¨¨¨
..,,,..¨..                                          ..¨..,,,..
¨.,,..,¨,.                                          .,¨,..,,.¨
¨¨,¨,,....                                          ....,,¨,¨¨
¨¨¨,,.¨¨,.                                          .,¨¨.,,¨¨¨
¨,¨,,.,.,¨                                          ¨,.,.,,¨,¨
,..¨.,.,..                                          ..,.,.¨..,