##@¤$%†=-¨ ¨-=†%$¤@##
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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 ,¨,~/;**§£
###@$§\-~¨ on the southern shores until i got ¨~-\§$@###
####$*;«,, bitten. ,,«;*$####
###@%*=~-. .-~=*%@###
####$=/-,¨ but now i'm further back, on solid ¨,-/=$####
##@§%$/»., ground, in shoulder-high grass, with an ,.»/$%§@##
##¶¤$^=»,. orange tin radio and a translucent .,»=^$¤¶##
#@£@$^=»:¨ umbrella which i'm sitting on. ¨:»=^$@£@#
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#§§%:-..,. \ .,..-:%§§#
&#£==,¨,¨. .¨,¨,==£#&
#@#@@^;«:, 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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##¶§&*:-.¨ ¨.-:*&§¶##
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