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