.¨¨¨¨,,¨¨.                                          .¨¨,,¨¨¨¨.
¨,¨¨.,¨..,                                          ,..¨,.¨¨,¨
,¨.¨¨,,,.,                                          ,.,,,¨¨.¨,
¨,.,,¨¨¨¨.                                          .¨¨¨¨,,.,¨
,¨¨,¨¨¨,¨:                                          :¨,¨¨¨,¨¨,
.,,¨¨.¨.,~                 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.              ###¶££/«~.
,¨.-†%£###                                          ###£%†-.¨,
.,¨~-†£@@#                                          #@@£†-~¨,.
..¨¨~~^$##                                          ##$^~~¨¨..
..¨¨¨,=:¤&                                          &¤:=,¨¨¨..
.¨.,¨,~~\$                                          $\~~,¨,.¨.
.¨..¨.,,=;                                          ;=,,.¨..¨.