=/»,,.,¨,. .,¨,.,,»/=
$†=-,¨,.,, ,,.,¨,-=†$
£%%:~,,,¨. .¨,,,~:%%£
££&=/=-,,. .,,-=/=&££
@@&$†:~-,. .,-~:†$&@@
#@@#&=†-,¨ 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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-,..,,,,., ,.,,,,..,-
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