@@%/~~,¨,¨ ¨,¨,~~/%@@
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†=»:,.¨,¨¨ ¨¨,¨.,:»=†
=-^.¨,¨,¨, ,¨,¨,¨.^-=
=†=-,,.¨¨, ,¨¨.,,-=†=
£*†«:,,¨.. 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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£$^~,¨.,,¨ ¨,,.¨,~^$£
££*:~^,.,¨ ¨,.,^~:*££