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