¨.¨.¨.¨,~*                                          *~,¨.¨.¨.¨
¨¨,¨¨¨,,,=                                          =,,,¨¨¨,¨¨
...¨,,¨-«\                                          \«-¨,,¨...
¨,..¨.~»*$                                          $*»~.¨..,¨
,¨,¨¨,~\*%                                          %*\~,¨¨,¨,
,¨¨¨~«=§$£                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, $$;«,..¨,¨
..,.:~†§%£ and  i  must've  picked it  up  with  my £%§†~:.,..
,,¨-~/^£§#             other belongings.            #§£^/~-¨,,
,,-~*§*@¶@                                          @¶@*§*~-,,
¨:«:§$¤£## it's  a statuette of a girl laying naked ##£¤$§:«:¨
¨¨:=:*§&£@ on   her  stomach,  feet  in  the   air, @£&§*:=:¨¨
.¨.:-^†%@#   roughly seven centimeters long. it's   #@%†^-:.¨.
¨¨,,-=;$§@ freshly  made, not yet completely dried. @§$;=-,,¨¨
¨.,,¨.«\^%                                          %^\«.¨,,.¨
¨.,.¨¨^~†% my mom is  here now. i  ask her for some %†~^¨¨.,.¨
¨,..,,.,»/ particle board  for it  to  dry on,  but /»,.,,..,¨
..,,...,~« she   is   worried  and   wants   me  to «~,...,,..
¨,,.,¨¨,«\              throw it away.              \«,¨¨,.,,¨
.¨¨.,.~==†                                          †==~.,.¨¨.
¨,,..,=^*£                                          £*^=,..,,¨
.¨.,^~*$$¤                                          ¤$$*~^,.¨.
,¨.:=\=$£#                                          #£$=\=:.¨,
,.,-***@@@                                          @@@***-,.,
.~»*^%&£@#                                          #@£&%^*»~.