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