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