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