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