¨,,.-,-*%@ @%*-,-.,,¨
..¨«:*†@## ##@†*:«¨..
.,~/§%&### ###&%§/~,.
.~»=§£#@@# #@@#£§=»~.
.,«:†$£@@# #@@£$†:«,.
¨,¨.,:=$†¤ statuette ¤†$=:,.¨,¨
,.-\§&&@## ##@&&§\-.,
,--;†%&### %£%*%%£¤$%$%$%@£~»=»»-==&£§@%£&*¤¤&%$%£& ###&%†;--,
¨¨,¨,¨.=$¤ §£§%£@%£@ ¤$=.¨,¨,¨¨
.,-†%$§£@# #@£§$%†-,.
..»:=$@£## forests around my childhood home. thick ##£@$=:»..
¨~~/;$¤£&# pine arcades that were planted and #&£¤$;/~~¨
..»=§¤@@## 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 @$*\~=~¨,.
,,-**%@### particle board for it to dry on, but ###@%**-,,
,^-=*%§@@# she is worried and wants me to #@@§%*=-^,
.,.~^^\%^@ throw it away. @^%\^^~.,.
¨:-:^£&@@# #@@&£^:-:¨
¨.~^*§¤£## ##£¤§*^~.¨
,:-\^$@@## ##@@$^\-:,
,,-*§%§¶@# #@¶§%§*-,,
¨.¨-,=§§@@ @@§§=,-¨.¨
,,.,¨~†§¤§ §¤§†~¨,.,,