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