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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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