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