@@#@=\»,¨. .¨,»\=@#@@
@§$*=«-¨,, ,,¨-«=*$§@
#£†^--¨,¨. .¨,¨--^†£#
$$*~^..... .....^~*$$
$^-,.,.,¨, ,¨,.,.,-^$
%**-:,¨... statuette ...¨,:-**%
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@&&%*=.,,¨ ¤@§$$¤¤$§¤¤£%&%£~-«~«»=~*£*¤@§&$$¤@%%@$§ ¨,,.=*%&&@
@¶¤¤%;-:¨¨ ££*&&%@&* ¨¨:-;%¤¤¶@
#@@&£%†»-. .-»†%£&@@#
#@&£*;-.¨, forests around my childhood home. thick ,¨.-;*£&@#
##£===~.,, pine arcades that were planted and ,,.~===£##
@***«-.¨¨, forgotten. wild boars roaming ,¨¨.-«***@
£%†~~¨¨¨¨¨ underneath, sniffing at the ground. it ¨¨¨¨¨~~†%£
§\~~..,¨¨. is dark and moist, the canopy having .¨¨,..~~\§
@%;~,,.,.¨ already soaked up all the sun. ¨.,.,,~;%@
&&^:-...., ,....-:^&&
@¤§%†~^.¨¨ there's a river passing by, from east ¨¨.^~†%§¤@
@#££*†~-¨¨ to west, getting broader and deeper and ¨¨-~†*££#@
##£@$%*«,¨ 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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