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