@@§¤%/«,., ,.,«/%¤§@@
£&*†*~-,¨¨ ¨¨,-~*†*&£
§§^==,,,.¨ ¨.,,,==^§§
&*==^¨,,., ,.,,¨^==*&
§§=*--¨¨., ,.¨¨--*=§§
@&%**=-,.. 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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