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