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