%=/«:,,,., ,.,,,:«/=%
¤£%*~^,.,. .,.,^~*%£¤
@#£%=~~..¨ ¨..~~=%£#@
#@££†;«~., ,.~«;†££@#
##¶#@==«-, ,-«==@#¶##
#£#%*:~,¨, 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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