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