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