@%§=«=.¨,. .,¨.=«=§%@
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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 ¨-~=%££&&@
##¶£$^†~~. direction of sound rather than at my .~~†^$£¶##
##@§§$/~~¨ hands, who are busy putting things in ¨~~/$§§@##
##¶&&$=~~. my pockets. .~~=$&&¶##
#¶@&@$=~~¨ ¨~~=$@&@¶#
£¤^*$~,,¨¨ then i run east toward my home. ¨¨,,~$*^¤£
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##¶&£§=~-. ^ .-~=§£&¶##
##£@£$\~,¨ ¨,~\$£@£##
###&@†;«~¨ i am not followed, and slow down in the ¨~«;†@&###
##£@&§^=., clearing where you at first can spot ,.=^§&@£##
¤¤*$^:^~^. 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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