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