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