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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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###££$\~:¨ ¨:~\$££###