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