###££^=«,. .,«=^££###
#@££%^\~~¨ ¨~~\^%££@#
£&/~-.,..¨ ¨..,.-~/&£
##@¶¤§*«,. .,«*§¤¶@##
#§§%=«¨.¨¨ ¨¨.¨«=%§§#
£#§«»-..¨¨ 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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