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