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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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