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