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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. ¨,.¨~~=*@¤
%*\»,¨¨.¨. .¨.¨¨,»\*%
$\»~.¨¨,¨, ,¨,¨¨.~»\$
;~^.,,¨,.¨ ¨.,¨,,.^~;
§*~^.¨¨¨.¨ ¨.¨¨¨.^~*§
%%;«,¨¨,¨¨ ¨¨,¨¨,«;%%
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