@¶@¤§*\~^. .^~\*§¤@¶@
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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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