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#@@£**†~-¨ $¤$@&£&%£ ¨-~†**£@@#
#@@&§*^-.. ..-^*§&@@#
@@£=$\»»,¨ forests around my childhood home. thick ¨,»»\$=£@@
#*§@$=†=:¨ 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 ,:~=%¤####
##¶¤$§†~^¨ my pockets. ¨^~†§$¤¶##
¤*%:-¨¨.,, ,,.¨¨-:%*¤
@&$--¨¨,,, then i run east toward my home. ,,,¨¨--$&@
####£*†«:, ,:«†*£####
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##£§%=^»,, 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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