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