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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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