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