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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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