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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 ,.-«†=$§£@
¶¤§§^»,.., umbrella which i'm sitting on. ,..,»^§§¤¶
£$*†«,¨,,, ,,,¨,«†*$£
&==»,¨¨¨.. ^ ..¨¨¨,»==&
£&†:=^.¨¨¨ ¨¨¨.^=:†&£
£#$§=~.,¨, 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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