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