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