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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. ¨^~†*£&@##
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&#&*^.,.,¨ : ¨,.,.^*&#&
&§^§;\\~,, ,,~\\;§^§&
#§::¨.¨,,. 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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