@£:=-»,¨.¨ ¨.¨,»-=:£@
##@&&*:~:. .:~:*&&@##
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####¤§^~~. .~~^§¤####
##@¤*%:~,¨ 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. .:-\%&&¶##
###£$^\=-. .-=\^$£###
#@¶&£†/~~. .~~/†£&¶@#
###§%$;»,¨ ¨,»;$%§###
&§*¤%;/=-, ,-=/;%¤*§&
####%*†~-¨ ¨-~†*%####
#@#£%§^=~¨ ¨~=^§%£#@#