.,@¨.&¨.&¨ ¨¨¨¨,,#&#¨
¨.,#¨¨§,¨# ¤¨¨¨,.#¨&#
#,,¨&,¨&,. ££.,,,.,¤¤
¤#,.¨#¨,§¨ ##£.,,..£.
§&&,..#¨,# #¨&¤...¨¨¨
¤.£§,¨¨§.. 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. ,£¤§¨¨£,#§
¤..,,,£.@& ,@,¤@.,.&#
&&¨.¨,,.§# ¨¨¨&#§..&¨
£@¤.,¨.,¤, £.,£¨@§¨,,
§¨£¤¨...¨. @¤¨.¨¤&@,,
,,£@@,¨,,, £##¨¨£¨§@¨
¨.&¨¤§.,., £¨@#¨,¨#@£