,..:»/=*@@ @@*=/»:..,
,.-~*%%£## ##£%%*~-.,
,-«=§£@### ###@£§=«-,
,.,-**¤@@# #@@¤**-,.,
,,¨,~^$¤## ##¤$^~,¨,,
¨...^«;%%# 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 @@£%†=~.¨.
¨¨¨.:«**$# she is worried and wants me to #$**«:.¨¨¨
¨,¨.~:§$## throw it away. ##$§:~.¨,¨
,.,»;^@### ###@^;»,.,
,-«;^@¶### ###¶@^;«-,
.,.-^^*@## ##@*^^-.,.
,¨,~«^^@@@ @@@^^«~,¨,
,¨¨,.»:%¤£ £¤%:».,¨¨,
.¨.~~:%£@# #@£%:~~.¨.