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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. ,¨¨~~«^@¶#
##@¤$*:~~. .~~:*$¤@##
###¤$%^»-¨ then i run east toward my home. ¨-»^%$¤###
##£@%**=,. .,=**%@£##
####@**»~. † .~»**@####
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#@£¤$§/«,, i am not followed, and slow down in the ,,«/§$¤£@#
@@#&&*†~,¨ 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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