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