@¶£=†»,,.¨ ¨.,,»†=£¶@
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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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