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