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