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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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