#§@$»,,,¨¨ ¨¨,,,»$@§#
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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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