##@£&=/~^. .^~/=&£@##
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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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