¨.¨¨.,,,.,                                          ,.,,,.¨¨.¨
.¨¨¨..,¨¨,                                          ,¨¨,..¨¨¨.
,¨¨.¨,....                                          ....,¨.¨¨,
¨,.¨,..¨¨.                                          .¨¨..,¨.,¨
¨¨.¨¨,.,¨¨                                          ¨¨,.,¨¨.¨¨
,,,.¨..¨,,                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.              .¨,¨,.¨..,
,,.¨,.,..¨                                          ¨..,.,¨.,,
¨¨,.,¨¨.,.                                          .,.¨¨,.,¨¨
¨,¨,¨¨,,¨¨                                          ¨¨,,¨¨,¨,¨
,,,¨.,¨¨,.                                          .,¨¨,.¨,,,
¨¨,,.,,¨,.                                          .,¨,,.,,¨¨
¨,,,,¨,.,.                                          .,.,¨,,,,¨