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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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