##£#§§=-:. .:-=§§#£##
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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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