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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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