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