###¶&%=~^¨ ¨^~=%&¶###
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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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