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