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