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