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