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