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