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.¨¤.@§¨#&, .#¨.#§¨#
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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. @@..#,¨¤.&
,,§.@&¨&¤¨ .§.#&¨@£.§
.#¤¨,@,,¤. §£.¨§,.§,£
¨.¤.£§¨£#, .§,&¤,&&.@
,§#.¨§.¨¤. ¤£¨¨£,,£,¤
,.§¨&£,¤#. ¨¤,#£,££,£
,#¤..&,.@¨ §&¨¨£..@¨£