##¶§&*†-,, ,,-†*&§¶##
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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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