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