..-\†@@#@@ @@#@@†\-..
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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 #@@@*^=~:¨
.:-^%$#¶@# she is worried and wants me to #@¶#$%^-:.
¨.-^%$#### throw it away. ####$%^-.¨
¨.~^†£¤@## ##@¤£†^~.¨
,,,..,»=%£ £%=»,..,,,
¨,=\*$#@#@ @#@#$*\=,¨
.,,,.†$¤#¶ ¶#¤$†.,,,.
.,=**£@#@# #@#@£**=,.
.-»/*§@@## ##@@§*/»-.