###@$^;~-. .-~;^$@###
@##@$%:-,, ,,-:%$@##@
###£#£*;,, ,,;*£#£###
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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 .-~=*$£@@@
####@=;~:. hands, who are busy putting things in .:~;=@####
§¤%%†.-.,, my pockets. ,,.-.†%%¤§
##@££*/«,¨ ¨,«/*££@##
@#£=~,.¨¨, then i run east toward my home. ,¨¨.,~=£#@
@#%;^.¨¨.. ..¨¨.^;%#@
@@=~¨,¨.,, ^ ,,.¨,¨~=@@
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#*^\\:¨,,¨ i am not followed, and slow down in the ¨,,¨:\\^*#
##@@*^;~^. clearing where you at first can spot .^~;^*@@##
@£:=»..,¨. the house, not yet really in the .¨,..»=:£@
##@&%%/~,¨ backyard. from my pockets i retrieve my ¨,~/%%&@##
#¶&^.¨,,.¨ radio (now dented) but also a small ¨.,,¨.^&¶#
¤§#@&§/=:. clay figure i've never seen before. it .:=/§&@#§¤
##¶&§=\~,. must have been laying in the wet dirt, .,~\=§&¶##
#*¤:..¨,¨. and i must've picked it up with my .¨,¨..:¤*#
§@^~,¨¨,,, other belongings. ,,,¨¨,~^@§
¶£:.,.¨¨¨, ,¨¨¨.,.:£¶
¶@£;;:,,¨. it's a statuette of a girl laying naked .¨,,:;;£@¶
##££%†;~^¨ on her stomach, feet in the air, ¨^~;†%££##
###@$*:»,, 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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