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