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