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