##*\=~-~,. .,~-~=\*##
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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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