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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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