#@¶¤£%==^, ,^==%£¤¶@#
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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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