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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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