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