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