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§%£^.,¨,¨¨ ¨¨,¨,.^£%§
#@#&$^=»~, ,~»=^$&#@#
###££**--, ,--**££###
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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. .--†§%££££
###¤£§:-~. .~-:§£¤###
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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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