%*=,,,..,, ,,..,,,=*%
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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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