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