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