£&%;~:¨,,, ,,,¨:~;%&£
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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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