¨,¨.¨~;¤@£ £@¤;~¨.¨,¨
,,»^¤@#@## ##@#@¤^»,,
,~-=%$¤@@# #@@¤$%=-~,
.:-†**#@## ##@#**†-:.
¨,¨,,--:%£ £%:--,,¨,¨
¨:~^*¤#### 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 ###¤£$\=:.
.,=^%¤#£@# clay figure i've never seen before. it #@£#¤%^=,.
.^=†=*@£@# must have been laying in the wet dirt, #@£@*=†=^.
,..,.,*%&¤ and i must've picked it up with my ¤&%*,.,..,
¨:-††*£%@@ other belongings. @@%£*††-:¨
.,,¨,^,^*£ £*^,^,¨,,.
¨,¨,.~~%££ it's a statuette of a girl laying naked ££%~~.,¨,¨
¨,¨,,-=§£# on her stomach, feet in the air, #£§=-,,¨,¨
,^==%¤#### roughly seven centimeters long. it's ####¤%==^,
¨¨..-*%#@£ freshly made, not yet completely dried. £@#%*-..¨¨
.^~/$§&£## ##£&§$/~^.
¨^~^§*#¶## my mom is here now. i ask her for some ##¶#*§^~^¨
,-«=**&@@# particle board for it to dry on, but #@@&**=«-,
,:-\=££### she is worried and wants me to ###££=\-:,
¨,»†^@#@¶£ throw it away. £¶@#@^†»,¨
¨,-;=£§£#¶ ¶#£§£=;-,¨
,,«†%£%%## ##%%£%†«,,
..^%@¤@@## ##@@¤@%^..
,,«*§$&¶¶# #¶¶&$§*«,,
.-«:$@#@@# #@@#@$:«-.
,,=*%$#¶## ##¶#$%*=,,