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