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