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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. .¨,~-=£#@@
##£&%†=,¨. .¨,=†%&£##
###¶#%*«,. / .,«*%#¶###
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#@§$†=.,,. the riverbanks reek of magic. tonight .,,.=†$§@#
#@£%~^.,.. 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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