£*$†=,¨¨¨. .¨¨¨,=†$*£
##¤%\=:¨,¨ ¨,¨:=\%¤##
#@&*%:-^¨, ,¨^-:%*&@#
##@@£§^«^, ,^«^§£@@##
#£¤%%^~:,. .,:~^%%¤£#
@&$=^~^... statuette ...^~^=$&@
#@%=~,.,.. ..,.,~=%@#
@*\-~.¨.¨, %$@$£§$§%&*$%$£&~~»-~~«=¤%@&¤£§£$££¤*$¤% ,¨.¨.~-\*@
$*«,¨,.¨¨. &£%%$$*&$ .¨¨.,¨,«*$
@%\~~¨¨.¨. .¨.¨¨~~\%@
§@§=»,,,.. forests around my childhood home. thick ..,,,»=§@§
££$$\~:¨¨, 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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