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