,.~†%$&£¤@ @¤£&$%†~.,
,-«^§@¤£## ##£¤@§^«-,
¨,¨¨,-;**@ @**;-,¨¨,¨
,:«\^$*%¤# #¤%*$^\«:,
.,,¨,:~§@# #@§~:,¨,,.
,,~^^$$£@@ statuette @@£$$^^~,,
.,..¨«§%£@ @£%§«¨..,.
.¨.~,,/$## £$£*$&$$££$$£§%*»==--»-=$%&*%$%£$%$£$£*% ##$/,,~.¨.
,,=;%&£¶@# ¤@%$§¤$%% #@¶£&%;=,,
,.¨¨,~*%@# #@%*~,¨¨.,
¨¨,¨.-†%$# forests around my childhood home. thick #$%†-.¨,¨¨
,,=†%£&¶## 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. £@#£%%;=:,
¨~»:†&#@## ##@#&†:»~¨
.:=*%¤&@@# #@@&¤%*=:.
¨~«†$%&#@# #@#&%$†«~¨
¨^-:%&@#@# #@#@&%:-^¨
,¨,,-\†§## ##§†\-,,¨,
.,¨,,~*&£& &£&*~,,¨,.