####&%*=-¨ ¨-=*%&####
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#@§£%†^.., ,..^†%£§@#
##&$=,.,.¨ ¨.,.,=$&##
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#&*†^,,,,. statuette .,,,,^†*&#
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##@#$$;~¨. §%%*@$%$%%@§£*&@=~--~-~=&£@£$@*£$£££&¤£$ .¨~;$$#@##
####§&%/-¨ *¤$§*§%£% ¨-/%&§####
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##§£%*~¨.¨ forests around my childhood home. thick ¨.¨~*%£§##
@&@*=-.¨.¨ pine arcades that were planted and ¨.¨.-=*@&@
@$*\,,.,,. forgotten. wild boars roaming .,,.,,\*$@
£@@%:,¨¨., underneath, sniffing at the ground. it ,.¨¨,:%@@£
#@#£%;~.., is dark and moist, the canopy having ,..~;%£#@#
#@@@%*\,.¨ already soaked up all the sun. ¨.,\*%@@@#
##@#&%^:-¨ ¨-:^%&#@##
##@§&*\,,¨ there's a river passing by, from east ¨,,\*&§@##
#@§%*/,¨¨¨ to west, getting broader and deeper and ¨¨¨,/*%§@#
@§*%/,..,. slower as it goes. equisetum grow just .,..,/%*§@
#£*;-,¨.¨. where the pine hands start to let .¨.¨,-;*£#
@&§**:,¨¨¨ through light, horsemint on the rocky ¨¨¨,:**§&@
@#@§^/,.,. river bed. .,.,/^§@#@
##@#£*:~.. ..~:*£#@##
###@#&%=,¨ † ¨,=%&#@###
##@#§*:-., ,.-:*§#@##
#@&$^*,,,, 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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