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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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