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