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