.-«^%$§@@# #@@§$%^«-.
.,:=:$%@## ##@%$:=:,.
¨.¨,-\%$£@ @£$%\-,¨.¨
¨..=^†$£## ##£$†^=..¨
.-=:$%¤@@# #@@¤%$:=-.
¨,.«/$%@@@ statuette @@@%$/«.,¨
¨..^«/$&@@ @@&$/«^..¨
,¨~»==$£¶# @&%%££*%£*£$@%$¤««-«-=~~§@¤%$§@$@@%@£*%£ #¶£$==»~¨,
¨.»^*£@### £&%%%$**¤ ###@£*^».¨
.,^»†%$#@@ @@#$%†»^,.
¨¨¨:~*§@&@ forests around my childhood home. thick @&@§*~:¨¨¨
.,~~**¤£## pine arcades that were planted and ##£¤**~~,.
,-«=^££¶## forgotten. wild boars roaming ##¶££^=«-,
,..=*$@£## 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 #@@$†-..,.
.,:~;*¤£@@ she is worried and wants me to @@£¤*;~:,.
,-~=%£§¶## throw it away. ##¶§£%=~-,
,,,~:†%&¶@ @¶&%†:~,,,
,,.,«==£&# #&£==«,.,,
...~†%@@## ##@@%†~...
¨.=:§¤£¶@# #@¶£¤§:=.¨
¨¨:«*†$§#@ @#§$†*«:¨¨
..,-»*†*£¶ ¶£*†*»-,..