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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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