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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. ,.¨:-*$¤@@
####&=~:., ,.:~=&####
####@$^~-. \ .-~^$@####
##@£&%~.,¨ ¨,.~%&£@##
@@¤%%»-.,. the riverbanks reek of magic. tonight .,.-»%%¤@@
#§§*-^.¨¨, they had been a swampworld with sylvan ,¨¨.^-*§§#
§%%».¨,¨,, water, stone rings and floating moss. ,,¨,¨.»%%§
#¤%*~:,¨,¨ you could've found me wallowing around ¨,¨,:~*%¤#
#¶§&$~..,, 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. ¨.,.=**#¶#
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@£#$$=..,. i am not followed, and slow down in the .,..=$$#£@
##£#*%»-,. 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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