.¨¨,.¨.,¨.                                          .¨,.¨.,¨¨.
.,.¨,¨,¨¨:                                          :¨¨,¨,¨.,.
..,¨¨.¨,.»                                          ».,¨.¨¨,..
...¨,,.,-:                                          :-,.,,¨...
¨,¨,,¨^-\%                                          %\-^¨,,¨,¨
.¨¨,,^~;%*                 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 $:~^.¨,..¨
¨¨,.¨,=/%% she  is   worried   and   wants   me  to %%/=,¨.,¨¨
..¨,^~:*§&              throw it away.              &§*:~^,¨..
,.¨~=**£&@                                          @&£**=~¨.,
¨..-†=£#@#                                          #@#£=†-..¨
,~=†%%####                                          ####%%†=~,
¨¨:=†$£@##                                          ##@£$†=:¨¨
.,¨.~==£##                                          ##£==~.¨,.
.¨,.~~††$§                                          §$††~~.,¨.