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