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