@£@%=%=»:, ,:»=%=%@£@
####@%†-,. .,-†%@####
#*§*~^,¨¨¨ ¨¨¨,^~*§*#
#@£**=;~^, ,^~;=**£@#
§§#%*=:=^¨ ¨^=:=*%#§§
@#@#%*:-~¨ 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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