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