####£^;~., ,.~;^£####
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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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