##££@§:~~, ,~~:§@££##
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#%/,,¨..,¨ ¨,..¨,,/%#
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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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