@#£%**;~,, ,,~;**%£#@
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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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