§†:~.¨.¨¨. .¨¨.¨.~:†§
@##&%=*~,¨ ¨,~*=%&##@
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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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##£¤¤*:»:, ,:»:*¤¤£##
##@#%*\-., ,.-\*%#@##
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