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