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