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