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