..,»\\£#¶# #¶#£\\»,..
¨~-†=$#@#@ @#@#$=†-~¨
.^»^=%§### ###§%=^»^.
¨^~«†\†¤@# #@¤†\†«~^¨
,^.«/††§@@ @@§††/«.^,
.^~†££#@## 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 @@$$%†==:.
,,.:»%%%@# backyard. from my pockets i retrieve my #@%%%»:.,,
¨..,,«§£*& radio (now dented) but also a small &*£§«,,..¨
...-»=†§†@ clay figure i've never seen before. it @†§†=»-...
.-~=»-«^%£ must have been laying in the wet dirt, £%^«-»=~-.
.¨.,-††:£& and i must've picked it up with my &£:††-,.¨.
¨.-:=%#@## other belongings. ##@#%=:-.¨
,¨.¨,:††$@ @$††:,¨.¨,
.~«;^@&@@# it's a statuette of a girl laying naked #@@&@^;«~.
,¨.,..=*§# on her stomach, feet in the air, #§*=..,.¨,
.~«=*%&### roughly seven centimeters long. it's ###&%*=«~.
.-=*§§#¶@@ freshly made, not yet completely dried. @@¶#§§*=-.
¨:»**§#### ####§**»:¨
.:-/$%¤### my mom is here now. i ask her for some ###¤%$/-:.
,,,,.^*@@# particle board for it to dry on, but #@@*^.,,,,
.-«»†%%¤#£ she is worried and wants me to £#¤%%†»«-.
,~~†**#### throw it away. ####**†~~,
.~-:*$£### ###£$*:-~.
,--=$$&¶## ##¶&$$=--,
,:-:%%%%#¶ ¶#%%%%:-:,
,,«=^£¤@@# #@@¤£^=«,,
,:~*§&§@@# #@@§&§*~:,
.:~†%£&#@# #@#&£%†~:.