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