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