##@&@$;«^¨ ¨^«;$@&@##
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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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