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