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