¶¤^«~¨,¨,¨ ¨,¨,¨~«^¤¶
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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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