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