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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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