¶#†^:,,.,¨ ¨,.,,:^†#¶
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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 ,:~††$£###
####@§=~^. throw it away. .^~=§@####
#@&%-=,¨,, ,,¨,=-%&@#
#@££$%;».¨ ¨.»;%$££@#
###@¤^^-~, ,~-^^¤@###
@$/;:-,,¨, ,¨,,-:;/$@
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##@£&$*~,¨ ¨,~*$&£@##