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