.,,,,¨¨¨,,                                          ,,¨¨¨,,,,.
,¨,¨.,¨,¨¨                                          ¨¨,¨,.¨,¨,
.¨¨....¨,¨                                          ¨,¨....¨¨.
¨,¨,....¨.                                          .¨....,¨,¨
.¨.,¨,.,,.                                          .,,.,¨,.¨.
.,¨¨,,.¨..                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.              :¨¨¨,¨.¨¨.
¨,¨¨¨.,,,¨                                          ¨,,,.¨¨¨,¨
¨,,¨..¨.,¨                                          ¨,.¨..¨,,¨
...¨..¨¨.,                                          ,.¨¨..¨...
.,.,¨.,,,,                                          ,,,,.¨,.,.
,¨¨,..¨¨,,                                          ,,¨¨..,¨¨,
...,,.¨¨,.                                          .,¨¨.,,...