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