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