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