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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. ,§£@¤@¤#,,
&¨,,£#.@¨# £¨¨¨,,,#,¨
#¨.§¨&§£&. §,¨¨,,¤£¨&
£.§£§.¨,§§ £,¨,.&.#§,
§&¨¨@,.§¨, ¤,,.&@@¨¤¤
¨&,£&¨§¤,¤ £,¨&¨¨@@.,
&¤£¨¤@¨&£# &¨#§.£,¤..