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