##@£$%†-., ,.-†%$£@##
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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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