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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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