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