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