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