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##@##%*=., statuette ,.=*%##@##
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#££$§%/»:, $@£%@***£$%¤@%*$~=~«~-~-$£$@§%&$@$%§*£%% ,:»/%§$££#
@&@§»-«,,. %£££$@$%¤ .,,«-»§@&@
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##%/~¨¨..¨ 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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