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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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