##£#¤§;=^. .^=;§¤#£##
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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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