###£#%†«-, ,-«†%#£###
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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. ¨,,,.:==§§
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#@¶¤$/«..¨ ¨..«/$¤¶@#
##@@#§:»-¨ 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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