#@#£%§\~~, ,~~\§%£#@#
##£$=*»:¨¨ ¨¨:»*=$£##
#@¶#&§*~-, ,-~*§&#¶@#
#@&$%\~,,. .,,~\%$&@#
#@@&&=:»,, ,,»:=&&@@#
@#@$§;~-¨¨ statuette ¨¨-~;§$@#@
#@£&¤†;=,¨ ¨,=;†¤&£@#
#@@&^†»,,, ¤@§§$*£$£&*$£**%~»~-=««=$**&%%§$@*££&¤§% ,,,»†^&@@#
#@##@%;-., £*$¤$@%%¤ ,.-;%@##@#
@##£§:»,¨, ,¨,»:§£##@
#@@£$^:».. 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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#@¶&@*†~-¨ ¨-~†*@&¶@#