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