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