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