###@††«-., ,.-«††@###
#@§=†-.,.. ..,.-†=§@#
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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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=†=...¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨...=†=
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