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