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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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