¨,=»-=@@@& &@@@=-»=,¨
¨,,¨,,=$%# #%$=,,¨,,¨
,^«;=§§@## ##@§§=;«^,
..»:*%&¶## ##¶&%*:»..
¨:=^**&¶#@ @#¶&**^=:¨
¨¨¨¨,;$@@# statuette #@@$;,¨¨¨¨
¨^~†/^£%$@ @$%£^/†~^¨
¨..¨¨.,:£@ **$§%%@¤£§¤£@§£%~-«---«~@%&*$&%@%$£&§%$@ @£:,.¨¨..¨
¨:-†%%£¶@# £¤$@*£§££ #@¶£%%†-:¨
.-=*%%£### ###£%%*=-.
,,,..,,-^£ forests around my childhood home. thick £^-,,..,,,
.:=;*££@¶£ pine arcades that were planted and £¶@££*;=:.
¨,¨~.-\*@¶ forgotten. wild boars roaming ¶@*\-.~¨,¨
,,:†¤#@@## underneath, sniffing at the ground. it ##@@#¤†:,,
,.¨,~~§§&& is dark and moist, the canopy having &&§§~~,¨.,
¨,-~;/%§@& already soaked up all the sun. &@§%/;~-,¨
..¨.~=;§£@ @£§;=~.¨..
¨~-*=@#### there's a river passing by, from east ####@=*-~¨
,-«^=¤#£## to west, getting broader and deeper and ##£#¤=^«-,
,^~:^%@£#@ slower as it goes. equisetum grow just @#£@%^:~^,
.:-~=$@¤§§ 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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