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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. ,¨^~/$&###
###@@¤:»,¨ ¨,»:¤@@###
###&§;«,,, but now i'm further back, on solid ,,,«;§&###
@@@&*«:¨,. ground, in shoulder-high grass, with an .,¨:«*&@@@
¶¤£/=^,.,. orange tin radio and a translucent .,.,^=/£¤¶
#*:~,¨..., umbrella which i'm sitting on. ,...¨,~:*#
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@#@*=~:,¨¨ \ ¨¨,:~=*@#@
##@¤*;~,,¨ ¨,,~;*¤@##
##@¶#§*».. somethings moving in the grass. it's ..»*§#¶@##
##@#£;--.¨ invisible to my eyes but i can feel ¨.--;£#@##
@#§£†»^,¨¨ through the ground just how large it is. ¨¨,^»†£§#@
££§^-,,,,¨ ¨,,,,-^§££
¤¤=~:..,.¨ the soil is muddy. i slip when trying ¨.,..:~=¤¤
¶@$;=,,,., 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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@#£@=~~.,¨ ¨,.~~=@£#@
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