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