¨^~:*=*&@# #@&*=*:~^¨
.:-=$%¤### ###¤%$=-:.
.,.¨¨.-*^§ §^*-.¨¨.,.
.¨¨-/*$*§£ £§*$*/-¨¨.
¨.«=%%¤### ###¤%%=«.¨
..:-«^^*$# statuette #$*^^«-:..
¨,»^*:*%%# #%%*:*^»,¨
,:»=^=¤££# &%$&%¤¤§%$$$¤¤¤£-«~«»=~»£££@§**%§@%£¤%%% #££¤=^=»:,
.:«\%@&$£¤ *¤£%&%§££ ¤£$&@%\«:.
.-~\%%¤£## ##£¤%%\~-.
..~:=*#£@# forests around my childhood home. thick #@£#*=:~..
¨-~\$$@¶## pine arcades that were planted and ##¶@$$\~-¨
...~\%^†£@ 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 @£¶@$†\«,.
¨¨.,,.~\*§ freshly made, not yet completely dried. §*\~.,,.¨¨
,..,==$&&£ £&&$==,..,
,^=/%§@@## my mom is here now. i ask her for some ##@@§%/=^,
,~=;%¤&¶## particle board for it to dry on, but ##¶&¤%;=~,
.,»:^*§@@# she is worried and wants me to #@@§*^:»,.
.,,,¨«*%^¤ throw it away. ¤^%*«¨,,,.
..~=%$@@## ##@@$%=~..
¨^~*%*§@@@ @@@§*%*~^¨
,¨,.~/^&£@ @£&^/~.,¨,
.~~;=$#¶## ##¶#$=;~~.
.,=\=%&£## ##£&%=\=,.
¨~«†*$&#@@ @@#&$*†«~¨