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