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