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