##£§$^†-^. .^-†^$§£##
@@§@%^»,¨. .¨,»^%@§@@
##£&$**-~¨ ¨~-**$&£##
@£¤£%:-.,¨ ¨,.-:%£¤£@
#@¶¤¤†*»,. .,»*†¤¤¶@#
##@*%:«:., 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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