@¶£$%=.¨,, ,,¨.=%$£¶@
#§$*;~,.¨. .¨.,~;*$§#
@¤†=:,,.,. .,.,,:=†¤@
@^:^¨.¨¨,. .,¨¨.¨^:^@
**:,,.¨¨,, ,,¨¨.,,:**
^,,.,,,¨.. 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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