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