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