,:»\$*&### ###&*$\»:,
,,,,~=~†§# #§†~=~,,,,
¨,~*%*#@@# #@@#*%*~,¨
¨,.--^†$£# #£$†^--.,¨
¨,~††$&### ###&$††~,¨
,^~:§£¤### statuette ###¤£§:~^,
,~~/^$#£## ##£#$^/~~,
¨.¨¨,.†$%# £¤%£¤&¤@%&$%¤$£§-~«»=»»»£%§@£%$%$%&££@$$ #%$†.,¨¨.¨
,¨-.=^§£@£ %¤§¤@&£*£ £@£§^=.-¨,
¨=:%&@@### ###@@&%:=¨
,~~†^£#### forests around my childhood home. thick ####£^†~~,
,~»;†*#¶## pine arcades that were planted and ##¶#*†;»~,
.,-†*$#@## forgotten. wild boars roaming ##@#$*†-,.
.-»**§¤#@# underneath, sniffing at the ground. it #@#¤§**»-.
..«:%*&@@# is dark and moist, the canopy having #@@&*%:«..
.-«^^&¤### already soaked up all the sun. ###¤&^^«-.
¨.¨=«~~=†£ £†=~~«=¨.¨
¨,«†§£#¤£¶ there's a river passing by, from east ¶£¤#£§†«,¨
,¨,.^»~:=& to west, getting broader and deeper and &=:~»^.,¨,
.^»^%%#§§@ slower as it goes. equisetum grow just @§§#%%^»^.
,¨,,-,/^$¶ where the pine hands start to let ¶$^/,-,,¨,
¨^=:§¤§### through light, horsemint on the rocky ###§¤§:=^¨
,,~;^£&¶## river bed. ##¶&£^;~,,
¨..=:^¤@¤¤ ¤¤@¤^:=..¨
¨~-/^$§@## / ##@§$^/-~¨
.¨.^=†¤@¤£ £¤@¤†=^.¨.
.^~:**§¤¤@ the riverbanks reek of magic. tonight @¤¤§**:~^.
¨,~^*§#£## they had been a swampworld with sylvan ##£#§*^~,¨
¨-«/†§$^£# water, stone rings and floating moss. #£^$§†/«-¨
,,~†=¤#@## you could've found me wallowing around ##@#¤=†~,,
¨,»**£§### on the southern shores until i got ###§£**»,¨
.,»:/*%§¤# bitten. #¤§%*/:»,.
..-;$$#¶@# #@¶#$$;-..
¨,-===%§@# 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. @&¤£:\~-,,
¨,«;=&@#@# #@#@&=;«,¨
,.==%&#@## ##@#&%==.,
..»=*£§$£# #£$§£*=»..
.:«†$&@@## ##@@&$†«:.
..¨.,\:*¤# #¤*:\,.¨..
¨.-\†%#### ####%†\-.¨