#¶§%$/-:.¨ ¨.:-/$%§¶#
#¤§^\~,¨¨, ,¨¨,~\^§¤#
#%^:»,..,, ,,..,»:^%#
£$†»,.¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨.,»†$£
^=»-¨,.,.. ..,.,¨-»=^
;~,.,.¨,¨, 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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