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