,-«/%$§£@# #@£§$%/«-,
.,¨.,¨:*†§ §†*:¨,.¨,.
,:~*$£§§¤§ §¤§§£$*~:,
¨¨¨¨,¨-^$& &$^-¨,¨¨¨¨
¨^«;§$¤¶## ##¶¤$§;«^¨
¨^-^$&&@## statuette ##@&&$^-^¨
¨^«;%$¤£@# #@£¤$%;«^¨
¨,==£@@### %$§¤£@%*£@$$&£¤@-=~~=»»~§$§*%£¤£%&$$§*$& ###@@£==,¨
..¨..~~*&# §£¤£$*£$@ #&*~~..¨..
.,.,«-$§#¶ ¶#§$-«,.,.
¨,-†§*#¶@@ forests around my childhood home. thick @@¶#*§†-,¨
,¨.,,:»*$£ 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. ##¶¤$%*-^.
,,-\†¤§@## ##@§¤†\-,,
¨,~;=&££#¤ ¤#££&=;~,¨
,.,.-^/:%@ @%:/^-.,.,
,.=/†¤§@## ##@§¤†/=.,
,^~:%$@@@# #@@@$%:~^,
¨.-:..**$£ £$**..:-.¨