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