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