#####^==^¨ ¨^==^#####
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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. ¨¨.,-,.^%#
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###¤&*^~., ^ ,.~^*&¤###
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¤*»,¨.¨,.¨ 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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