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