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