¨¨.,,¨,-/^ ^/-,¨,,.¨¨
¨,.¨.¨,^~† †~^,¨.¨.,¨
,¨..¨¨.=\% %\=.¨¨..¨,
.,.¨.,=\$$ $$\=,.¨.,.
¨¨,.--*%$¤ ¤$%*--.,¨¨
.¨¨,-*§$@¶ statuette ¶@$§*-,¨¨.
..:~:%## ###&%:~:..
,~~==£&@## &*££$@¤*&%¤@£§%%««--=~=«£$*£*&£££$**$%*£ ##@&£==~~,
¨¨^-;*%@## @%*£%§££& ##@%*;-^¨¨
.¨..=\%¤¤@ @¤¤%\=..¨.
,.¨¨-~*^££ forests around my childhood home. thick ££^*~-¨¨.,
.¨,,.,«*†§ pine arcades that were planted and §†*«,.,,¨.
,.,¨.,,-\% forgotten. wild boars roaming %\-,,.¨,.,
,..¨¨,¨.«/ underneath, sniffing at the ground. it /«.¨,¨¨..,
..¨¨¨.,»†* is dark and moist, the canopy having *†»,.¨¨¨..
.,¨,,,~\§% already soaked up all the sun. %§\~,,,¨,.
¨...,-†=££ ££=†-,...¨
,..-~\*@¤# there's a river passing by, from east #¤@*\~-..,
,¨:=/§&&@@ to west, getting broader and deeper and @@&&§/=:¨,
¨-~;^@§¶@# slower as it goes. equisetum grow just #@¶§@^;~-¨
,.^=^%£@ where the pine hands start to let @#&£%^=^.,
¨,,,~^*£¤@ through light, horsemint on the rocky @¤£*^~,,,¨
...¨-~\%%@ river bed. @%%\~-¨...
.,¨¨¨,=;%$ $%;=,¨¨¨,.
.,.,.¨,-=^ = ^=-,¨.,.,.
,¨¨,,¨,~»† †»~,¨,,¨¨,
¨¨.¨,.~=^% the riverbanks reek of magic. tonight %^=~.,¨.¨¨
,,¨,¨--\*£ they had been a swampworld with sylvan £*\--¨,¨,,
..,.,-^%%& water, stone rings and floating moss. &%%^-,.,..
.¨.-~*^$#£ you could've found me wallowing around £#$^*~-.¨.
,,:«:%%#@# on the southern shores until i got #@#%%:«:,,
..»;$§&£## bitten. ##£&§$;»..
,¨~=;%¤&@# #@&¤%;=~¨,
,.,^~:§%£# but now i'm further back, on solid #£%§:~^,.,
,,¨¨,~=*@& ground, in shoulder-high grass, with an &@*=~,¨¨,,
¨,.,,,~*%& orange tin radio and a translucent &%*~,,,.,¨
¨,.¨,,^-†* umbrella which i'm sitting on. *†-^,,¨.,¨
¨¨,,,,¨,~: :~,¨,,,,¨¨
,.,.,,,~/* / */~,,,.,.,
¨,,,¨-==*$ $*==-¨,,,¨
¨,.,^~^$$@ 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 #§$†;-:¨¨,
¨.,.^»:†£§ particle board for it to dry on, but §£†:»^.,.¨
¨,.,¨~»†** she is worried and wants me to **†»~¨,.,¨
¨.,..¨:-†^ throw it away. ^†-:¨..,.¨
.¨,,,¨¨,«† †«,¨¨,,,¨.
,¨,,¨¨~=:^ ^:=~¨¨,,¨,
.¨¨,,^~;%& &%;~^,,¨¨.
,¨¨.,-\^¤& &¤^\-,.¨¨,
,,¨.=;†$@# #@$†;=.¨,,
¨¨-=:%@#@# #@#@%:=-¨¨