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