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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. ¨¨¨,/*$%§@
##£§$*;~.¨ ¨.~;*$§£##
#@##£*/»:¨ my mom is here now. i ask her for some ¨:»/*£##@#
@&§@&%/~,, particle board for it to dry on, but ,,~/%&@§&@
#@£#&=;«.. she is worried and wants me to ..«;=&#£@#
@¤%\^;^.,. throw it away. .,.^;^\%¤@
##¶#¤*^«,¨ ¨,«^*¤#¶##
@&¤@£§/~,, ,,~/§£@¤&@
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#@¶£$†\~,, ,,~\†$£¶@#
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