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