¨¨.,,¨,..~                                          ~..,¨,,.¨¨
¨..¨,¨,¨..                                          ..¨,¨,¨..¨
,¨,,.¨¨.,¨                                          ¨,.¨¨.,,¨,
.¨¨,¨¨,.¨.                                          .¨.,¨¨,¨¨.
.¨,.,¨..¨,                                          ,¨..¨,.,¨.
.,¨¨¨¨¨.~=                 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 £$~-¨¨,.,.
...,.,,^»^ radio  (now  dented)  but  also  a small ^»^,,.,...
,...¨.¨.,= clay figure i've never  seen before.  it =,.¨.¨...,
.,..,..¨., must  have been laying in  the wet dirt, ,.¨..,..,.
..,.,,¨¨,¨ and i  must've  picked  it  up  with  my ¨,¨¨,,.,..
...,,.¨¨¨¨             other belongings.            ¨¨¨¨.,,...
.¨.,.¨,..¨                                          ¨..,¨.,.¨.
.,¨,,,¨.., it's a statuette  of a girl laying naked ,..¨,,,¨,.
.¨.¨¨.¨¨-~ on  her   stomach,   feet  in  the  air, ~-¨¨.¨¨.¨.
.¨,¨,,¨^=†   roughly seven centimeters long. it's   †=^¨,,¨,¨.
,.,..,,«^£ freshly made, not yet  completely dried. £^«,,..,.,
¨,,.¨,==$¤                                          ¤$==,¨.,,¨
¨¨¨.,«**§£ my mom is here  now. i ask her  for some £§**«,.¨¨¨
¨,.-~**@@# particle board  for  it to  dry on,  but #@@**~-.,¨
,¨-~*£#¶@# she  is   worried  and   wants   me   to #@¶#£*~-¨,
.^«§*§@@##              throw it away.              ##@@§*§«^.
¨¨--^*¤@##                                          ##@¤*^--¨¨
,¨,:»**§¶#                                          #¶§**»:,¨,
,.¨¨^»^$§#                                          #§$^»^¨¨.,
.¨.¨.~«§£¤                                          ¤£§«~.¨.¨.
¨..¨¨¨:=†§                                          §†=:¨¨¨..¨
¨.¨,..¨:==                                          ==:¨..,¨.¨