¨.«^%$¤@## ##@¤$%^«.¨
,,«†%%§@## ##@§%%†«,,
..~*%%^*^¤ ¤^*^%%*~..
.~-†*£@@## ##@@£*†-~.
¨,¨¨..«§%¤ ¤%§«..¨¨,¨
.,~\§£@@## 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. ###@$%\«~,
.,~=†@§@@# #@@§@†=~,.
¨:~†*§§### it's a statuette of a girl laying naked ###§§*†~:¨
,.,,~\;†¤# on her stomach, feet in the air, #¤†;\~,,.,
.^»\%&§#@# roughly seven centimeters long. it's #@#§&%\»^.
.,~*†&&@@# freshly made, not yet completely dried. #@@&&†*~,.
.,¨¨¨~§¤*£ £*¤§~¨¨¨,.
,~=:%%@@#@ my mom is here now. i ask her for some @#@@%%:=~,
..«\^@&£## particle board for it to dry on, but ##£&@^\«..
.~-/=£¤£@# she is worried and wants me to #@£¤£=/-~.
,¨¨,.~;£%@ throw it away. @%£;~.,¨¨,
¨¨..,^~~%§ §%~~^,..¨¨
,.¨,.~§£@# #@£§~.,¨.,
.~«~~«=%$£ £$%=«~~«~.
¨,~:$£@@&@ @&@@£$:~,¨
,,-\$§#@## ##@#§$\-,,
,.¨^^:†&## ##&†:^^¨.,