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