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