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