##@£&%†=-¨ ¨-=†%&£@##
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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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