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