####§%\~^, ,^~\%§####
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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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