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