#£¤$†\~-¨, ,¨-~\†$¤£#
###¤&*\»,¨ ¨,»\*&¤###
@£§$$:~^¨¨ ¨¨^~:$$§£@
@¤&*^~,,¨¨ ¨¨,,~^*&¤@
§%$*~..¨¨¨ ¨¨¨..~*$%§
%%;-,,.¨,¨ 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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