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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 ¨,~;§@§###
@#¤$£^;=-¨ my pockets. ¨-=;^£$¤#@
#@#¤%%^--. .--^%%¤#@#
###£$%:~-, then i run east toward my home. ,-~:%$£###
###&%*:»-¨ ¨-»:*%##
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#@##&*:-,, 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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