@¶£$^:=.,, ,,.=:^$£¶@
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§£%:=:..¨, ,¨..:=:%£§
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£#¤†/~:¨,, statuette ,,¨:~/†¤#£
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#@@#*^:~:, %$%&&*%£@$£%@$$£»«=»~~»»@%££§¤$@*%$££%*% ,:~:^*#@@#
#@#*§/=-¨. £$&$§¤$%£ .¨-=/§*#@#
£§%%:«-¨¨, ,¨¨-«:%%§£
&&§/«,¨¨¨. forests around my childhood home. thick .¨¨¨,«/§&&
$%^~:,¨,,, pine arcades that were planted and ,,,¨,:~^%$
¤@*:~^¨¨.¨ forgotten. wild boars roaming ¨.¨¨^~:*@¤
#&&**=.¨.¨ underneath, sniffing at the ground. it ¨.¨.=**&&#
#@@§*\=,., is dark and moist, the canopy having ,.,=\*§@@#
##¶§£%†=,, already soaked up all the sun. ,,=†%£§¶##
@¶&%=†--,, ,,--†=%&¶@
#@**/»~,.¨ there's a river passing by, from east ¨.,~»/**@#
£&**~.,,.¨ to west, getting broader and deeper and ¨.,,.~**&£
*%=~,¨¨.,. slower as it goes. equisetum grow just .,.¨¨,~=%*
@¤§/=^¨... where the pine hands start to let ...¨^=/§¤@
£¤&=:~..¨, through light, horsemint on the rocky ,¨..~:=&¤£
#£¤&*/~:,. river bed. .,:~/*&¤£#
##£¤£%;»,¨ ¨,»;%£¤£##
#@££=;~~¨. ^ .¨~~;=££@#
£&$§:=-¨., ,.¨-=:§$&£
£%^^=-¨¨,¨ the riverbanks reek of magic. tonight ¨,¨¨-=^^%£
£%\~^.¨¨.¨ they had been a swampworld with sylvan ¨.¨¨.^~\%£
§£§;»:¨¨,¨ water, stone rings and floating moss. ¨,¨¨:»;§£§
@§¤§^~-¨,. you could've found me wallowing around .,¨-~^§¤§@
@@¤%=†=-¨¨ on the southern shores until i got ¨¨-=†=%¤@@
##@§@%†~:, bitten. ,:~†%@§@##
@¶¤¤%/=,., ,.,=/%¤¤¶@
@#@$;=,,.. but now i'm further back, on solid ..,,=;$@#@
@%*\~,,,¨¨ ground, in shoulder-high grass, with an ¨¨,,,~\*%@
£$;~^...,. orange tin radio and a translucent .,...^~;$£
¤¤*\~,,,¨, umbrella which i'm sitting on. ,¨,,,~\*¤¤
##&††=.,,¨ ¨,,.=††&##
##&&*/~,,, \ ,,,~/*&&##
##@¤$†*=,. .,=*†$¤@##
#¶£%*:«:,¨ somethings moving in the grass. it's ¨,:«:*%£¶#
#@$§^=.,,¨ invisible to my eyes but i can feel ¨,,.=^§$@#
§£=†»,.,,¨ through the ground just how large it is. ¨,,.,»†=£§
%*†».,¨..¨ ¨..¨,.»†*%
§£§/-:,.,. the soil is muddy. i slip when trying .,.,:-/§£§
#¤%*=»-,,¨ to get up, still looking at the ¨,,-»=*%¤#
##¤$%;»,,. direction of sound rather than at my .,,»;%$¤##
#@#¤$$;~,¨ 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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