####@*§\=. .=\§*@####
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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. ,¨¨¨¨»;*%£
@%^»¨.¨¨.. ..¨¨.¨»^%@
=\~,.,¨¨,, ^ ,,¨¨,.,~\=
\~,..¨,,¨¨ ¨¨,,¨..,~\
»,,,,¨¨¨,, 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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£&£§;«,¨¨¨ ¨¨¨,«;§£&£
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