@#@£¤$\-~¨ ¨~-\$¤£@#@
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##@@%$/~~. .~~/$%@@##
###§*%\=^, statuette ,^=\%*§###
##%$=-,¨.¨ ¨.¨,-=$%##
###@@@^-^. £*$£*£%&%&£*§£¤¤«-«»«»--&¤@%$%£$£%@$§¤£& .^-^@@@###
¶$\/;~~¨,¨ %£@£$£&&£ ¨,¨~~;/\$¶
#¤=--..... .....--=¤#
###@£%†-:, forests around my childhood home. thick ,:-†%£@###
&¤&;.¨,.,, pine arcades that were planted and ,,.,¨.;&¤&
####¤*=~,¨ forgotten. wild boars roaming ¨,~=*¤####
@#£#£*\~^, underneath, sniffing at the ground. it ,^~\*£#£#@
##@@$%;-^. 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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####&%%:-¨ ¨-:%%&####
£&$†:;:¨,¨ ¨,¨:;:†$&£
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