&§&$%*==^¨ ¨^==*%$&§&
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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. ,,~=†*####
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¶&£=;-,,,. ; .,,,-;=£&¶
#&=†=¨.,,¨ ¨,,.¨=†=&#
@@#¤£^/»,, 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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