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