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