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