#@¶¤§%^=,, ,,=^%§¤¶@#
##@@&&:~:, ,:~:&&@@##
####%^\«,¨ ¨,«\^%####
&%%%==»¨.¨ ¨.¨»==%%%&
###¶**:»-¨ ¨-»:**¶###
@##&¤=†~~. 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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