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