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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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