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