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