@¤$=«,,,¨, ,¨,,,«=$¤@
#@*=/\«»~. .~»«\/=*@#
##¶&¤%=»,¨ ¨,»=%¤&¶##
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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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