#@@&&$/~,. .,~/$&&@@#
###¤£*;»-. .-»;*£¤###
£#££§%*-., ,.-*%§££#£
##@§&*=-.. ..-=*&§@##
###§&^*=~, ,~=*^&§###
####¤^;~^. 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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