##@£*^/«.. ..«/^*£@##
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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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