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