.¨,,,,¨¨,¨                                          ¨,¨¨,,,,¨.
.¨¨¨.¨.¨¨.                                          .¨¨.¨.¨¨¨.
.¨,¨.¨¨..¨                                          ¨..¨¨.¨,¨.
¨..,,,,,..                                          ..,,,,,..¨
,¨,¨..¨¨^~                                          ~^¨¨..¨,¨,
¨.¨..¨.~-:                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.              ##@*§\»,,.
,..,=^$%§#                                          #§%$^=,..,
,¨,,-»†=¤#                                          #¤=†»-,,¨,
¨¨...^-\*@                                          @*\-^...¨¨
,,.....«=%                                          %=«.....,,
¨.¨¨,,¨-~:                                          :~-¨,,¨¨.¨
.,.¨..¨¨-»                                          »-¨¨..¨.,.