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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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