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