#@%§%-=,¨¨ ¨¨,=-%§%@#
#@#§@==~.. ..~==@§#@#
@§%::¨¨¨¨, ,¨¨¨¨::%§@
@=:,¨,..¨, ,¨..,¨,:=@
@@#§&§=-,. .,-=§&§#@@
#$£^-~¨¨,. statuette .,¨¨~-^£$#
#@#&£%=~~, ,~~=%£@#
@£%**=*«.¨ $%%£%%$$*@&£££%£~-«~=~=«$&§%&§¤$$£%@¤%@£ ¨.«*=**%£@
&@¤*\~-,¨. %§$%&%%£& .¨,-~\*¤@&
##£@*†:=., ,.=:†*@£##
@*£^=--,,, forests around my childhood home. thick ,,,--=^£*@
#£&&%%\=.. pine arcades that were planted and ..=\%%&&£#
@&@&*†:~:, forgotten. wild boars roaming ,:~:†*&@&@
#*†»~:¨¨,, underneath, sniffing at the ground. it ,,¨¨:~»†*#
@#%$^==^.¨ 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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