##@#§††~,¨ ¨,~††§#@##
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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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