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