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=;«,.,.,., ,.,.,.,«;=
$=;»,¨,... statuette ...,¨,»;=$
@&*/-,¨,¨, ,¨,¨,-/*&@
@££%:=,,¨. *%%*§%¤£%%£$&$§§~»---~~»$&££*¤$$$%£%@$£@ .¨,,=:%££@
@@£*†/-:¨¨ *§*&$§§&¤ ¨¨:-/†*£@@
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#@&@%\~,¨, 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. ,¨,¨,~;*£¤
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@#¤&$^«:¨¨ † ¨¨:«^$&¤#@
#@@@%*†--. .--†*%@@@#
#£££%=»^¨, 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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¤*=†=.,,.. ..,,.=†=*¤
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##£@*^«-.. ..-«^*@£##