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