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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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