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