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