##@££^*=:¨ ¨:=*^££@##
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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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