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