#@@¤%$/~.. ..~/$%¤@@#
@*%%~~~:.. ..:~~~%%*@
##@§§$;=-¨ ¨-=;$§§@##
@§*\/^»-¨, ,¨-»^/\*§@
#@#@$=\-~, ,~-\=$@#@#
###^†~,,-¨ 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 .^~/%¤####
@#£@£$†~~. throw it away. .~~†$£@£#@
#@¶&£*;~,¨ ¨,~;*£&¶@#
@@@@¤§:-.¨ ¨.-:§¤@@@@
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###¤&%\~:¨ ¨:~\%&¤###
##@¤%%=«~, ,~«=%%¤@##
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