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