##@£$/=:¨, ,¨:=/$£@##
###@$%†»^. .^»†%$@###
##@£%\--,. .,--\%£@##
##@*/»^¨¨¨ ¨¨¨^»/*@##
##&£^\=-,. .,-=\^£#
##@££%^=,¨ 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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