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