@§*~^¨¨.¨¨ ¨¨.¨¨^~*§@
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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. ,:»=$%¤###
@††$^\*»~¨ ¨~»*\^$††@
#§:,,.¨.,. .,.¨.,,:§#
#@@¤*$;«-¨ ¨-«;$*¤@@#
#@@£$%:«,¨ ¨,«:%$£@@#
#%^=,¨..¨, ,¨..¨,=^%#
#@¶&¤%:».¨ ¨.»:%¤&¶@#