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#*†,,¨.,,¨ statuette ¨,,.¨,,†*#
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##£#§$/»., $££§$@§£%@*££*$$~~~~«»«-&%$@££$$%£$££%*% ,.»/$§#£##
@@%$^†*~:, £@%&&$£¤£ ,:~*†^$%@@
§#$=::.¨,, ,,¨.::=$#§
@@¶#@^==:, forests around my childhood home. thick ,:==^@#¶@@
##%¤*^†-~. pine arcades that were planted and .~-†^*¤%##
#¶§%/:-^,, forgotten. wild boars roaming ,,^-:/%§¶#
#@@&%**»~¨ underneath, sniffing at the ground. it ¨~»**%&@@#
##@#&^†«:. is dark and moist, the canopy having .:«†^&#@##
##@§§%;~~¨ already soaked up all the sun. ¨~~;%§§@##
####$^/~,¨ ¨,~/^$####
##¶&%=*»-, there's a river passing by, from east ,-»*=%&¶##
@&^/*/,,.. to west, getting broader and deeper and ..,,/*/^&@
@@/~-~,¨¨. slower as it goes. equisetum grow just .¨¨,~-~/@@
#@@££^^-,¨ where the pine hands start to let ¨,-^^££@@#
##£¤@*/~:, through light, horsemint on the rocky ,:~/*@¤£##
@¤$%†^,¨,¨ 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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