####£=*=,¨ ¨,=*=£####
##&$†;«:¨. .¨:«;†$#
¶¤**==,¨,, ,,¨,==**¤¶
#@#$§:-:.. ..:-:§$#@#
###&&*;».¨ ¨.»;*&##
##££=;~,¨¨ 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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