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