£^^%/~-~:¨ ¨:~-~/%^^£
#@#@§$*«-. .-«*$§@#@#
###£¤%*«,¨ ¨,«*%¤£###
###@§@†«~¨ ¨~«†@§@###
##@&%†*=^, ,^=*†%&@##
£¤&@%*/«., 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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