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