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