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