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##¨£¨¤@§£& ¨§¤,,§&¨#¨
§,¤§#¤¨,.¨ ¨@,@.&¨£¤§
,¤§.¨.£.., .§§&¤¤&@,¨
¨&,#.¨¤§¨. &¤¨.¨,..&¨
¨@¤#@,&,@¨ statuette ¨.#.,...§@
£¤¨..¤£&§& .¨§¤..,,§.
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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. ..#@..§§§.
#,.£@¤¤.¨¤ #,&,£.£¨¨§
.£.¤,,¨§,¤ .@§§§#@@,@
§¤#£&¨,¤¤£ #¤.,¨,,.#£
..,¨.@,@¨. ..¤¨..¨¨£.
¨¨¨,.£#£§, .¨@§.,,,#§
£¨,,,§..,@ .¨@¨£¨,,¤,