@@£§/=-¨,. .,¨-=/§£@@
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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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-.¨¨...¨,, ,,¨...¨¨.-
.,.¨.,¨,., ,.,¨,.¨.,.
.,...¨..,¨ ¨,..¨...,.