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