.¨.~-^%%&@ @&%%^-~.¨.
.,,~/*$&#@ @#&$*/~,,.
¨~»^%%£#@# #@#£%%^»~¨
¨¨.~;†£@@# #@@£†;~.¨¨
¨,¨--;*$#@ @#$*;--¨,¨
,,.¨-=*%¤& 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, ¤$$*~,.,¨,
¨¨.^»\%%#¶ roughly seven centimeters long. it's ¶#%%\»^.¨¨
¨¨^=/*¤### freshly made, not yet completely dried. ###¤*/=^¨¨
.:-†§£¤@@# #@@¤£§†-:.
.¨:~/§£#@# my mom is here now. i ask her for some #@#£§/~:¨.
,.,^-\†&## particle board for it to dry on, but ##&†\-^,.,
.¨,,,-\*%§ she is worried and wants me to §%*\-,,,¨.
..,,=†=$&@ throw it away. @&$=†=,,..
,¨,=/^¤&£# #£&¤^/=,¨,
.,«/*£&### ###&£*/«,.
¨,~=\%$£## ##£$%\=~,¨
,..~«:*£@¶ ¶@£*:«~..,
.¨¨,,-;$$§ §$$;-,,¨¨.
¨¨.,~\$%¤@ @¤%$\~,.¨¨