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