¨^~^^$@@@# #@@@$^^~^¨
,-=/§%%§@¶ ¶@§%%§/=-,
,,»*$%^=&@ @&=^%$*»,,
..,.~=$¤#¶ ¶#¤$=~.,..
.,..,¨-=¤# #¤=-¨,..,.
¨¨,--/&### 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 @&¤/,,.,¨.
,^~:*$&@## she is worried and wants me to ##@&$*:~^,
,,~**$#@## throw it away. ##@#$**~,,
.^~=§$¤#@# #@#¤$§=~^.
.,=*$$§@¤¶ ¶¤@§$$*=,.
¨.,~**£$#£ £#$£**~,.¨
,¨..¨^«%## ##%«^¨..¨,
,,«**§@### ###@§**«,,
,,-*^*£#@# #@#£*^*-,,