,,~\$$@@¶# #¶@@$$\~,,
,.»**@#@@# #@@#@**».,
,¨,,¨¨^~*# #*~^¨¨,,¨,
¨,=:^%&¶@# #@¶&%^:=,¨
,-«^*%§### ###§%*^«-,
,,«;*£&@## 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 @*%$%*^.,¨
..,..:»\@& particle board for it to dry on, but &@\»:..,..
¨..¨¨-^=%# she is worried and wants me to #%=^-¨¨..¨
.¨¨¨.-†&#@ throw it away. @#&†-.¨¨¨.
,,»^$§¤£@@ @@£¤§$^»,,
¨,=**$@@#@ @#@@$**=,¨
,^»\%§£### ###£§%\»^,
.^=*$¤*¤£§ §£¤*¤$*=^.
,,^~»=^%@# #@%^=»~^,,
,,¨.:=§%§# #§%§=:.¨,,