¶@&%%^~.¨, ,¨.~^%%&@¶
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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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