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