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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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