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