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