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##@§@^=~^¨ ¨^~=^@§@##
###§%%†«.¨ statuette ¨.«†%%§###
##£&&%:=^¨ ¨^=:%&&£##
@=~=~,¨.¨. $£%**$¤$@¤%&@%%%-~«»~«-=§$&$$§%£$%£$£*£@ .¨.¨,~=~=@
#@@#**†~.. *%$%%$@%* ..~†**#@@#
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#¤^«-,¨¨¨. forests around my childhood home. thick .¨¨¨,-«^¤#
#@¶§*$/=.. pine arcades that were planted and ..=/$*§¶@#
¤$*/.^¨..¨ forgotten. wild boars roaming ¨..¨^./*$¤
£=/:,~,.¨. underneath, sniffing at the ground. it .¨.,~,:/=£
&££=;==,.¨ is dark and moist, the canopy having ¨.,==;=££&
##¶&$$==,. 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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