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