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§$\/†*:.¨¨ ¨¨.:*†/\$§
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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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#£#£*†^~,, ,,~^†*£#£#
##£@$%*~.. ..~*%$@£##