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