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