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