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