.¨.,¨,-»\^                                          ^\»-,¨,.¨.
¨,.¨.,,^=†                                          †=^,,.¨.,¨
..,¨¨¨,,,=                                          =,,,¨¨¨,..
,¨¨,¨,....                                          ....,¨,¨¨,
,,¨,.¨.,.¨                                          ¨.,.¨.,¨,,
.¨¨....,¨¨                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 £&†;~:.,.¨
,,,.»^$§@# she   is   worried   and  wants  me   to #@§$^».,,,
,.~~†$%###              throw it away.              ###%$†~~.,
¨--†§&##@#                                          #@##&§†--¨
¨¨-~;*$££#                                          #££$*;~-¨¨
¨,.~-/%&&@                                          @&&%/-~.,¨
,¨¨.~»=*£&                                          &£*=»~.¨¨,
,.,.¨^==%@                                          @%==^¨.,.,
,,..¨.-«^†                                          †^«-.¨..,,