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