@%&@*~«^,. .,^«~*@&%@
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##@£&*;»-¨ ¨-»;*&£@##
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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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