##@§£^^~,, ,,~^^£§@##
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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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##*@:^:=^. .^=:^:@*##
####&%^«^¨ ¨^«^%&####
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