¨,--:%§§£@ @£§§%:--,¨
.~»\=@§¤&@ @&¤§@=\»~.
¨~~-^%$*## ##*$%^-~~¨
,,~*$$$*¤§ §¤*$$$*~,,
¨,»=^$#@## ##@#$^=»,¨
,:»/^$^@£# statuette #£@^$^/»:,
.^»***¤### ###¤***»^.
,--**%£#@# $£%$$¤§§%§$¤§&$%«~-«~-~-$£$%*%£*@**&&%%* #@#£%**--,
.¨,,==%£%# %%@¤*¤&¤§ #%£%==,,¨.
¨~,=»*§&&# #&&§*»=,~¨
¨,.~/*$### forests around my childhood home. thick ###$*/~.,¨
..,,,.,†^§ 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. ##@¶£**«-.
,--;*%£¶## ##¶£%*;--,
,¨¨..¨,†§§ §§†,¨..¨¨,
,,-/=%†@## ##@†%=/-,,
,...~\*&@& &@&*\~...,
¨,«^=$£¶#@ @#¶£$=^«,¨
,,~=%***$¶ ¶$***%=~,,