,.,~-/^%¤¶ ¶¤%^/-~,.,
,...,=^§@& &@§^=,...,
,,,¨¨~~\%% %%\~~¨¨,,,
.¨,¨.,,=†% %†=,,.¨,¨.
,.¨,¨¨,.=; ;=.,¨¨,¨.,
¨,.¨..¨,,~ 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 #£@§$=-^,,
¨¨,,=;*%§£ particle board for it to dry on, but £§%*;=,,¨¨
,...~=\§¤& she is worried and wants me to &¤§\=~...,
.¨..¨^=;§¤ throw it away. ¤§;=^¨..¨.
¨¨¨.,¨,~;* *;~,¨,.¨¨¨
,.¨.¨.¨^-= =-^¨.¨.¨.,
.,....,,,= =,,,....,.
¨¨¨...¨,-^ ^-,¨...¨¨¨
.¨¨.¨,,»\* *\»,,¨.¨¨.
.,.,¨.~\%$ $%\~.¨,.,.