@@=«-...¨¨ ¨¨...-«=@@
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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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#@#£@§:«^, ,^«:§@£#@#
¶%£@;-¨,.¨ ¨.,¨-;@£%¶
#@¶£%$/~:¨ ¨:~/$%£¶@#
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