¶#%^\»,¨,. .,¨,»\^%#¶
##¤£†==~¨, ,¨~==†£¤##
##¶¤%*†«~. .~«†*%¤¶##
##&@%=~,¨. .¨,~=%@&##
@§*=\=.,¨. .¨,.=\=*§@
£%^:~-.,¨¨ 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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