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