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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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