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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. .,»=^@§@##
££@@%=\-,¨ ¨,-\=%@@££
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££%/^,:,^. .^,:,^/%££
@@#&£^;»:, 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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