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