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