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