##¶@$*==.. ..==*$@¶##
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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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