@£§§^%*-:, ,:-*%^§§£@
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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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