##@&$†*--, ,--*†$&@##
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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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