##££¤$;-~¨ ¨~-;$¤££##
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#@§%¤$\-~, ,~-\$¤%§@#
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##&%$^=»,¨ ¨,»=^$%&##
@¶£:=-.¨¨. 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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