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