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