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