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