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