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