##¶£%*/«~, ,~«/*%£¶##
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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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