@&*%\†=~.. ..~=†\%*&@
@¶#£&§†~^¨ ¨^~†§&£#¶@
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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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