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