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