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