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