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