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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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