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