###£%§†=:, ,:=†§%£###
#@&%=;»,., ,.,»;=%&@#
@&§$:-.,¨¨ ¨¨,.-:$§&@
@%$*«.¨,,, ,,,¨.«*$%@
@¤$$*~~.,¨ ¨,.~~*$$¤@
###$*\«,¨¨ statuette ¨¨,«\*$###
##£&£*\=^¨ ¨^=\*£&£##
##£***=,,¨ ¤&@%%@£¤£&%@&£%$«=~~-~»-¤£¤$*¤§%§*%%*$*¤ ¨,,=***£##
@@¤%:»,¨,¨ **$%@$*¤$ ¨,¨,»:%¤@@
&£%=~...,, ,,...~=%£&
#££%\«,..¨ 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. ,,,.~;*%¤@
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£§§$;~-,¨. : .¨,-~;$§§£
@£#$%:-:¨¨ ¨¨:-:%$#£@
##£@£$*~,, i am not followed, and slow down in the ,,~*$£@£##
@##£^=«^.¨ 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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