@#†:~:-.¨, ,¨.-:~:†#@
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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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