,.¨¨,;†^§# #§^†;,¨¨.,
¨.~$£#¶@## ##@¶#£$~.¨
,,,,.,,/£¤ ¤£/,,.,,,,
,,..,=%&¤# #¤&%=,..,,
,.=:%*@### ###@*%:=.,
.,=;=@£@#@ 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 #@#££$†~~,
..~†^¤#¶## the house, not yet really in the ##¶#¤^†~..
¨,~:%@¤@@# backyard. from my pockets i retrieve my #@@¤@%:~,¨
¨¨.-:†^†&# radio (now dented) but also a small #&†^†:-.¨¨
¨.-=%%#¶#@ clay figure i've never seen before. it @#¶#%%=-.¨
.,,.*†\¤@@ must have been laying in the wet dirt, @@¤\†*.,,.
¨,¨,.,/%@& and i must've picked it up with my &@%/,.,¨,¨
¨..¨.=^=&£ other belongings. £&=^=.¨..¨
,¨¨.^;/*$¶ ¶$*/;^.¨¨,
¨..,,¨»*§¶ it's a statuette of a girl laying naked ¶§*»¨,,..¨
.^-:%%&¶## on her stomach, feet in the air, ##¶&%%:-^.
.,»^§£§¶## roughly seven centimeters long. it's ##¶§£§^»,.
,^=-/;%£## freshly made, not yet completely dried. ##£%;/-=^,
¨.¨,-*&¤&¤ ¤&¤&*-,¨.¨
¨-«:%%¤@## my mom is here now. i ask her for some ##@¤%%:«-¨
,.¨.«;*§@@ particle board for it to dry on, but @@§*;«.¨.,
,~~^%%§¶## she is worried and wants me to ##¶§%%^~~,
.¨,,»»**%£ throw it away. £%**»»,,¨.
..»^^&§### ###§&^^»..
..,,¨,.»§¤ ¤§».,¨,,..
.¨~:,~†@£# #£@†~,:~¨.
,,=*%£@§¤# #¤§@£%*=,,
.~~^%£@£@# #@£@£%^~~.
¨,,,,¨.†$& &$†.¨,,,,¨