@%^^,,,,., ,.,,,,^^%@
#@¶@£%^~.¨ ¨.~^%£@¶@#
#%†/~,,,., ,.,,,~/†%#
#@@§§^=~~¨ ¨~~=^§§@@#
##£@*^†«~. .~«†^*@£##
##@£¤§^»., 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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