,.-^^$##@# #@##$^^-.,
.^-;*££### ###££*;-^.
.-»/%*@@£# #£@@*%/»-.
..¨¨,:.:%@ @%:.:,¨¨..
¨~~/%*@### ###@*%/~~¨
¨-»*$&¤@## statuette ##@¤&$*»-¨
..«/%£§¶## ##¶§£%/«..
.¨,¨«;^@&¤ £%£%£%%¤$@%@%*$$~-~~~~»~%¤$$§£&@§%$$£%££ ¤&@^;«¨,¨.
.,~^^$§@## £*£@*%¤£* ##@§$^^~,.
,.~*^@#@£@ @£@#@^*~.,
¨:~^†*§@## 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. #@$£/=†~:.
,.¨.;^\&&£ £&&\^;.¨.,
.¨¨.:^=*££ my mom is here now. i ask her for some ££*=^:.¨¨.
.,¨¨-:†§¤@ particle board for it to dry on, but @¤§†:-¨¨,.
.¨..¨^\@£@ she is worried and wants me to @£@\^¨..¨.
¨..¨.,~§@@ throw it away. @@§~,.¨..¨
,.¨¨¨,~~%& &%~~,¨¨¨.,
.¨..:,-^£# #£^-,:..¨.
¨¨.¨-~†&¶# #¶&†~-¨.¨¨
.,^^:\$*#@ @#*$\:^^,.
.-»;^$£### ###£$^;»-.
,~-:%%¤¶## ##¶¤%%:-~,