##@#¤=†~,¨ ¨,~†=¤#@##
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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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