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