##¶¤%^†~-. .-~†^%¤¶##
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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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