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