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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. ¨¨,~=§£@@¶
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@##£%^==:¨ / ¨:==^%£##@
@%/^*†=«-. .-«=†*^/%@
#@&\«^,.¨, 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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