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