,,,=;**£@@ @@£**;=,,,
.¨¨,»;†%§¶ ¶§%†;»,¨¨.
¨,¨..~/*@@ @@*/~..¨,¨
.,,,¨,~^=§ §=^~,¨,,,.
,¨,.,-;=%& &%=;-,.,¨,
..,-»;%&@# 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 ##$†/~,¨¨,
..:~\§£##@ particle board for it to dry on, but @##£§\~:..
¨-=;**¤£@# she is worried and wants me to #@£¤**;=-¨
¨.-~†^%£## throw it away. ##£%^†~-.¨
,,¨.~;**&@ @&**;~.¨,,
,¨..,~=§§@ @§§=~,..¨,
.,,.¨,«/%$ $%/«,¨.,,.
,¨¨,:«;*$& &$*;«:,¨¨,
¨,..-\§$## ##$§\-..,¨
.¨~~*†$¤¶# #¶¤$†*~~¨.