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