##@¤*§†=~. .~=†§*¤@##
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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 ,,,¨:~-*$£
#§†%==,,¨¨ particle board for it to dry on, but ¨¨,,==%†§#
#@¶#&=*=,, she is worried and wants me to ,,=*=¶@#
@†*^:,¨.¨. throw it away. .¨.¨,:^*†@
###&£*/«,¨ ¨,«/*£##
##¶#£§;~,. .,~;§£#¶##
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&%*/»~=.¨. .¨.=~»/*%&
#%$*=..,.¨ ¨.,..=*$%#
#@&**«¨,¨¨ ¨¨,¨«**&@#