###@££%^-. .-^%££@###
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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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