##£&£%†--¨ ¨--†%£&£##
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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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