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