##@@§^^~:¨ ¨:~^^§@@##
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####£†\«-, ,-«\†£####
&*=,,,¨¨.¨ ¨.¨¨,,,=*&
##¶#$=\«:. .:«\=$#¶##
@£¤$$†/~^. statuette .^~/†$$¤£@
#@£#*%*~,. .,~*%*#£@#
##¤£&††~.¨ $&§*&@$£$&$%@¤%£»~=~~~==*§§$%$%&&%§%£¤§% ¨.~††&£¤##
##¤^\:*~~¨ £¤¤@**$&@ ¨~~*:\^¤##
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¶¶£*/:,,,, forests around my childhood home. thick ,,,,:/*£¶¶
##@#§%\-.. pine arcades that were planted and ..-\%§#@##
##@&&*;»,¨ forgotten. wild boars roaming ¨,»;*&&@##
§*%-,¨.,,¨ underneath, sniffing at the ground. it ¨,,.¨,-%*§
@%*«,.¨¨¨. is dark and moist, the canopy having .¨¨¨.,«*%@
#£*-,..,¨. already soaked up all the sun. .¨,..,-*£#
###@*%†«.. ..«†%*@###
£§~^¨¨,.,, there's a river passing by, from east ,,.,¨¨^~§£
##@&£=*~-¨ to west, getting broader and deeper and ¨-~*=£&@##
&*«~¨¨¨.,, slower as it goes. equisetum grow just ,,.¨¨¨~«*&
@@§-,.,¨.. where the pine hands start to let ..¨,.,-§@@
##£¤£%\-.¨ through light, horsemint on the rocky ¨.-\%£¤£##
¶#£§%*:=^¨ river bed. ¨^=:*%§£#¶
#¤%^†:,¨., ,.¨,:†^%¤#
##@@&§/=~. = .~=/§&@@##
£*~,¨.,¨., ,.¨,.¨,~*£
£&£/~.:.¨¨ the riverbanks reek of magic. tonight ¨¨.:.~/£&£
#†$†=,¨¨¨¨ 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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§*£†~..¨,¨ ^ ¨,¨..~†£*§
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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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