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