####¤@%/-¨ ¨-/%@¤####
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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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##@§@§=«~¨ ¨~«=§@§@##
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