,,,-†%%§@# #@§%%†-,,,
¨^«=†$£@## ##@£$†=«^¨
¨¨^=†^@@## ##@@^†=^¨¨
,,¨.~\^*£# #£*^\~.¨,,
.,,.:~\$§¤ ¤§$\~:.,,.
,¨,-«:*%@# statuette #@%*:«-,¨,
.¨,~;^&££# #££&^;~,¨.
.^»\*@#£## %£¤$%@%¤&%$¤@£@@«»~~~~»-@££%£%*$$*$£%$§% ##£#@*\»^.
.¨.«;%£§@# $§*%@%£&* #@§£%;«.¨.
,¨¨,~:%&¤£ £¤&%:~,¨¨,
..,¨~~†^%£ forests around my childhood home. thick £%^†~~¨,..
¨¨¨.»:§$@# 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. #¶§$=:».¨¨
¨,=:*&£@## ##@£&*:=,¨
,,:-*=%&## ##&%=*-:,,
¨¨.~~;$%¤# #¤%$;~~.¨¨
,..¨,=:*£# #£*:=,¨..,
.¨¨:~††£#@ @#£††~:¨¨.
¨,,«*^£#¶# #¶#£^*«,,¨