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