,..,.¨¨,¨¨                                          ¨¨,¨¨.,..,
.,¨....¨.¨                                          ¨.¨....¨,.
,..,,..¨,¨                                          ¨,¨..,,..,
.¨,...,¨¨.                                          .¨¨,...,¨.
,.,.¨.,..¨                                          ¨..,.¨.,.,
¨..¨¨.,¨.¨                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.              ,,¨,~-*^£¤
§%:«,,,.,,                                          ,,.,,,«:%§
†=»-,¨.,,¨                                          ¨,,.¨,-»=†
=-,,.,¨.¨.                                          .¨.¨,.,,-=
~,¨.,...¨,                                          ,¨...,.¨,~
^....¨...¨                                          ¨...¨....^
¨...¨,¨...                                          ...¨,¨...¨