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