@#£§$$;=-, ,-=;$$§£#@
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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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