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