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