@%:».¨,.,, ,,.,¨.»:%@
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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 ¨,=/*$&@##
#@##£=;-.¨ freshly made, not yet completely dried. ¨.-;=£##@#
@@¤%-~.,¨. .¨,.~-%¤@@
#@@£§†;-.. my mom is here now. i ask her for some ..-;†§£@@#
££%\,..,,¨ particle board for it to dry on, but ¨,,..,\%££
&#¤£§§\»-, she is worried and wants me to ,-»\§§£¤#&
##@¤¤=*=,. throw it away. .,=*=¤¤@##
#@§-~~:,¨, ,¨,:~~-§@#
£&¤¤†^*~~¨ ¨~~*^†¤¤&£
##@@%*\»:. .:»\*%@@##
#¤$^§/:~~. .~~:/§^$¤#
###¤£§=»-¨ ¨-»=§£¤###
£#@¤%;««.¨ ¨.««;%¤@#£