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