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