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