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