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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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