,~-†**$&#@ @#&$**†-~,
¨-~;†$&### ###&$†;~-¨
,¨,..~/^%¤ ¤%^/~..,¨,
.-=*$%§#@# #@#§%$*=-.
.,~;§@£¶@# #@¶£@§;~,.
¨.¨¨,,,~$& statuette &$~,,,¨¨.¨
¨:=*%£#£## ##£#£%*=:¨
.,¨^:;%*#¶ $¤§$£&§¤££$%*$§$«==~=«~~@%£*$@£*%&$$$¤@§ ¶#*%;:^¨,.
,:=;†$@### &@£¤*@@@$ ###@$†;=:,
¨~«:*@¤§#£ £#§¤@*:«~¨
,¨,,¨~~*@@ forests around my childhood home. thick @@*~~¨,,¨,
.,-;%£££@# pine arcades that were planted and #@£££%;-,.
.,~;†§&%§@ forgotten. wild boars roaming @§%&§†;~,.
.^«*=*#@@# underneath, sniffing at the ground. it #@@#*=*«^.
,¨~.«~~*=@ is dark and moist, the canopy having @=*~~«.~¨,
.¨,~~;%$@# 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. £*@%=-.¨,¨
.--;$*£#@# #@#£*$;--.
¨:===£@¤#£ £#¤@£===:¨
¨~»/*§@### ###@§*/»~¨
.,»^=£#### ####£=^»,.
,:«/%¤@@#@ @#@@¤%/«:,
¨,,,*=$&#@ @#&$=*,,,¨