,,,.,.@@@# ,.¨...@,,¨
#&#&&,,@¤¨ §§#§¤..,&&
§£&#¨..¨¨, ,#&@,,¤¨.§
§¤&¨,¤§&¤@ .,&,,.¨¨,.
¨§¨...#&#§ &,¨¨#@¤£§.
,,.¤¤..@£¨ 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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