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