,.~:=$¤@@# #@@¤$=:~.,
¨.~»-»%§## ##§%»-»~.¨
¨-=^^£§### ###§£^^=-¨
.,«=*%§¶## ##¶§%*=«,.
.,~,«†*% #&%*†«,~,.
.:~/=$£&¶¶ statuette ¶¶&£$=/~:.
¨..¨.=^$§# #§$^=.¨..¨
.^==$$@@## &¤@%$£%%$%%%$@%$~»-=«==«¤&¤%&%*§$¤%§*¤¤& ##@@$$==^.
,~«^%§@£## ¤%%&@%$&% ##£@§%^«~,
,~«:^£§@@# #@@§£^:«~,
,,»\%%#£#@ forests around my childhood home. thick @#£#%%\»,,
¨~~*†$£# 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 #@#&£$=»:.
¨.,,-$§$¶# particle board for it to dry on, but #¶$§$-,,.¨
¨:-\*§#@## she is worried and wants me to ##@#§*\-:¨
...¨.,/&§¶ throw it away. ¶§&/,.¨...
,~==^$¤@## ##@¤$^==~,
.¨¨¨,==:%¤ ¤%:==,¨¨¨.
¨¨...,,»†# #†»,,...¨¨
¨,=*§@@### ###@@§*=,¨
,,~\*$##@# #@##$*\~,,
¨¨,..:=*¤£ £¤*=:..,¨¨