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