~~†*@&¶@## ##@¶&@*†~~
,,-†^@¤#@# #@#¤@^†-,,
~»:$§&@### ###@&§$:»~
,:-\§¤&£## ##£&¤§\-:,
:»†^£§¶### ###¶§£^†»:
.-»==£§¶## 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. ###@§%†=»~
,^»^=¤@#@# #@#@¤=^»^,
~»/§&#@### = ###@#&§/»~
¨.~;$$§¶## ##¶§$$;~.¨
,»^**§@@## i am not followed, and slow down in the ##@@§**^»,
,,~**£§### clearing where you at first can spot ###§£**~,,
^»*$£§#@## the house, not yet really in the ##@#§£$*»^
.,~†%§@£@# backyard. from my pockets i retrieve my #@£@§%†~,.
~~;%%§¶### radio (now dented) but also a small ###¶§%%;~~
,:~†$£@### clay figure i've never seen before. it ###@£$†~:,
,-:†&@£### must have been laying in the wet dirt, ###£@&†:-,
,~»^*§&@@# and i must've picked it up with my #@@&§*^»~,
,«/%&§#@## other belongings. ##@#§&%/«,
¨,-;*§¤£## ##£¤§*;-,¨
^«/=%£@### it's a statuette of a girl laying naked ###@£%=/«^
¨~-/§¤§### on her stomach, feet in the air, ###§¤§/-~¨
.-:$%&@@## roughly seven centimeters long. it's ##@@&%$:-.
.^~:%£#### freshly made, not yet completely dried. ####£%:~^.
,~††*##@## ##@##*††~,
¨-«*$&&@## my mom is here now. i ask her for some ##@&&$*«-¨
.»\=&§¶@## particle board for it to dry on, but ##@¶§&=\».
,,-=†*#¶## she is worried and wants me to ##¶#*†=-,,
,»^%&@#### throw it away. ####@&%^»,
.--\$%##@# #@##%$\--.
~~;%%&¶### ###¶&%%;~~
,:~^$$£### ###£$$^~:,
^=\%¤¤#### ####¤¤%\=^
,:-==*¤@## ##@¤*==-:,
~«†*%§#### ####§%*†«~