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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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