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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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