.¨,¨,¨,~\^ ^\~,¨,¨,¨.
...,,¨¨:»\ \»:¨¨,,...
¨,.¨¨,.¨.= =.¨.,¨¨.,¨
¨¨.¨.,¨.,^ ^,.¨,.¨.¨¨
¨¨...¨.,^~ ~^,.¨...¨¨
¨.,,,,,--/ 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, #¶£¤$;»:.,
¨¨.,»\$@@@ and i must've picked it up with my @@@$\»,.¨¨
,¨,¨-~;*$@ other belongings. @$*;~-¨,¨,
¨.....«:%$ $%:«.....¨
¨,¨,.,~»=^ it's a statuette of a girl laying naked ^=»~,.,¨,¨
¨¨¨...¨.»\ on her stomach, feet in the air, \».¨...¨¨¨
..,¨,,,..- roughly seven centimeters long. it's -..,,,¨,..
,¨,.¨,¨¨¨: freshly made, not yet completely dried. :¨¨¨,¨.,¨,
¨.,,,¨,..~ ~..,¨,,,.¨
,,.¨¨.¨.-= my mom is here now. i ask her for some =-.¨.¨¨.,,
¨,,,,¨,=/% particle board for it to dry on, but %/=,¨,,,,¨
¨,,¨,.=:§§ she is worried and wants me to §§:=.,¨,,¨
,,¨.,-^*£# throw it away. #£*^-,.¨,,
,,.~~^*§§# #§§*^~~.,,
¨¨:=^^$¤£# #£¤$^^=:¨¨
¨:~\=$§£## ##£§$=\~:¨
.,:»\$%@## ##@%$\»:,.
.,,:~;§%@# #@%§;~:,,.
..,..«†^$# #$^†«..,..