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