@§%&*/,,.. ..,,/*&%§@
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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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