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