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