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