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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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##¶&$=^»,¨ ¨,»^=$&¶##