###@¤*=-., ,.-=*¤@###
#@#@*=~,,, ,,,~=*@#@#
@¤&^*--,,. .,,--*^&¤@
##§%*†»^¨¨ ¨¨^»†*%§##
###&%$/=:¨ ¨:=/$%##
##@$*†»^¨. statuette .¨^»†*$@##
@#&**~^,,, ,,,^~**@
##§£^*~^¨. ££%£%%@$§@££%$$§~~==~~-»*£%%@&$£@$$&%@£* .¨^~*^£§##
##@£@§^-,. %§$$$£$@@ .,-^§@£@##
##¤%%;~,,. .,,~;%%¤##
@&%%^=^,., forests around my childhood home. thick ,.,^=^%%&@
##§%^=-,.. pine arcades that were planted and ..,-=^%§##
###@%%/~,. forgotten. wild boars roaming .,~/%%@###
#@#&^†~-¨. underneath, sniffing at the ground. it .¨-~†^@#
#£$*=»..,¨ 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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