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