¨-»\%*¤£¶@ @¶£¤*%\»-¨
,,¨:»-$*&¤ ¤&*$-»:¨,,
¨:«:=£#@## ##@#£=:«:¨
¨-«/=%&£## ##£&%=/«-¨
,,==^§£### ###£§^==,,
¨¨¨¨~^%$£@ statuette @£$%^~¨¨¨¨
¨~~/†§#@@¶ ¶@@#§†/~~¨
.:-»-:;&*@ £@¤%@%£&%£§&%££%~«-»~=»«£§$¤%%$£%£%%*@$@ @*&;:-»-:.
¨.~*%$#### %$*£$$§££ ####$%*~.¨
¨,-:^@§£¤@ @¤£§@^:-,¨
.,=:%%#@## forests around my childhood home. thick ##@#%%:=,.
,:~^%&#### pine arcades that were planted and ####&%^~:,
¨.¨¨»†=$§@ 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. #$*†~^,,¨,
¨.~~/*§$## ##$§*/~~.¨
¨,-*£#£@## my mom is here now. i ask her for some ##@£#£*-,¨
¨^~=*@##@# particle board for it to dry on, but #@##@*=~^¨
,.«;*†*£§# she is worried and wants me to #§£*†*;«.,
.¨.,.-**¶@ throw it away. @¶**-.,.¨.
,.,..¨:«†£ £†«:¨..,.,
,^-\*¤#@## ##@#¤*\-^,
..~†$&¤¶£# #£¶¤&$†~..
..»*=$§£## ##£§$=*»..
,.»†%£@### ###@£%†».,
¨.~^§#£### ###£#§^~.¨