.,¨,.¨.»=£ £=».¨.,¨,.
¨,~;^&@@@# #@@@&^;~,¨
,,=†*@¤¶## ##¶¤@*†=,,
.,¨.¨.¨~=& &=~¨.¨.¨,.
,..,¨,~=§& &§=~,¨,..,
¨¨:»;^$§§@ statuette @§§$^;»:¨¨
,~«^*%£### ###£%*^«~,
¨^.~,~*$£¤ $¤&&%£§%%§%%$$&§=-==»«=~££@¤%&§$*¤¤£§¤&$ ¤£$*~,~.^¨
,~«/*%§@£@ @*¤§@&¤&@ @£@§%*/«~,
¨-~†§%@@@# #@@@%§†~-¨
,¨¨»*$†^§# forests around my childhood home. thick #§^†$*»¨¨,
,.-;*£§£@# pine arcades that were planted and #@£§£*;-.,
.^=†%%£@## forgotten. wild boars roaming ##@£%%†=^.
¨¨,¨¨:;*&¤ underneath, sniffing at the ground. it ¤&*;:¨¨,¨¨
¨^»\$@@£@# is dark and moist, the canopy having #@£@@$\»^¨
¨,.,~^^^%& already soaked up all the sun. &%^^^~,.,¨
..~^$£&¶## ##¶&£$^~..
.,.¨,¨~$£§ there's a river passing by, from east §£$~¨,¨.,.
¨^=\*%¤#@# to west, getting broader and deeper and #@#¤%*\=^¨
..¨:,^~**§ slower as it goes. equisetum grow just §**~^,:¨..
.~«=%§§£@# where the pine hands start to let #@£§§%=«~.
.-==»;*$%# through light, horsemint on the rocky #%$*;»==-.
¨-~:†§#@#@ river bed. @#@#§†:~-¨
.,~/%¤#£@# #@£#¤%/~,.
..»;†%§### ; ###§%†;»..
..,¨-\*=§@ @§=*\-¨,..
,.»:%£@@## the riverbanks reek of magic. tonight ##@@£%:».,
,~-\=$&### they had been a swampworld with sylvan ###&$=\-~,
.¨.^,::£@@ water, stone rings and floating moss. @@£::,^.¨.
,¨¨-,:~^%# you could've found me wallowing around #%^~:,-¨¨,
¨-:,-*$§&¤ on the southern shores until i got ¤&§$*-,:-¨
.,=*§£@### bitten. ###@£§*=,.
,.«*%@#¶@# #@¶#@%*«.,
,..,-†\§&§ but now i'm further back, on solid §&§\†-,..,
,¨,,,~*^§# ground, in shoulder-high grass, with an #§^*~,,,¨,
.^=;§£¤### orange tin radio and a translucent ###¤£§;=^.
.-~\=££### umbrella which i'm sitting on. ###££=\~-.
,:«;*$¤### ###¤$*;«:,
,:«^*%@@&¤ * ¤&@@%*^«:,
¨-»†§§&@@# #@@&§§†»-¨
,.,,=†£&&£ somethings moving in the grass. it's £&&£†=,,.,
.,~;**&¶@# invisible to my eyes but i can feel #@¶&**;~,.
,-~;*%¤### through the ground just how large it is. ###¤%*;~-,
¨^~*%§#### ####§%*~^¨
.~»^^^%$$¤ 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 @&&*=»^^:.
.--:§$@@## throw it away. ##@@$§:--.
,-«;%%&@@# #@@&%%;«-,
¨,¨~†:%%&¤ ¤&%%:†~¨,¨
.,~†=%§@@# #@@§%=†~,.
,,~^%§§@@# #@@§§%^~,,
,,¨.¨,,^%¶ ¶%^,,¨.¨,,
¨..,^†$=§# #§=$†^,..¨