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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. ,.==%@¤@@#
##¶&£$^~,. .,~^$£&¶##
¶££=«^:~¨¨ \ ¨¨~:^«=££¶
##@§$%^-:¨ ¨:-^%$§@##
#@¶¤%**»,. 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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