,¨¨,.~=*§@                                          @§*=~.,¨¨,
.,,^»/§@¤@                                          @¤@§/»^,,.
,,:~:%$¤##                                          ##¤$%:~:,,
,,-/*&£@##                                          ##@£&*/-,,
¨¨:»;%£#¶#                                          #¶#£%;»:¨¨
¨.,~=:*§&#                 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 ¶#§$^«.¨¨¨
.¨^»\=@#@#              throw it away.              #@#@=\»^¨.
.-»=§¤§@##                                          ##@§¤§=»-.
¨¨~~^%£&##                                          ##&£%^~~¨¨
.,.^~==%&£                                          £&%==~^.,.
¨.,¨~«=§%@                                          @%§=«~¨,.¨
.¨¨...»:$&                                          &$:»...¨¨.
.,¨¨..~»^^                                          ^^»~..¨¨,.