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