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