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