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