¨^»/%%§### ###§%%/»^¨
,,==§¤£### ###£¤§==,,
¨¨,.,:%§££ ££§%:,.,¨¨
,--\†=*%&# #&%*=†\--,
¨.~:%§¤@@# #@@¤§%:~.¨
.:«:$§@### statuette ###@§$:«:.
,-«\%£@£## ##£@£%\«-,
.^~;$$%$¤# ¤§%$*%$£$§%%@&$@~«-»=-~-¤£¤¤$@%%*¤*¤$§@$ #¤$%$$;~^.
,,~:%¤#£## $$§@$@@$£ ##£#¤%:~,,
.,==%@£@@# #@@£@%==,.
..~^%§&### forests around my childhood home. thick ###&§%^~..
.,»†^*@@## pine arcades that were planted and ##@@*^†»,.
,,~\†*£¶@# forgotten. wild boars roaming #@¶£*†\~,,
,:-\^$$&§@ 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. ####*†;«-.
.,~;*%#@## ##@#%*;~,.
.¨,¨¨:^%¤# #¤%^:¨¨,¨.
¨¨,^~^&@#& &#@&^~^,¨¨
¨.»*$@¤£## ##£¤@$*».¨
,.¨,,=\%£# #£%\=,,¨.,
.-~\=£¤##@ @##¤£=\~-.