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