@#£†*-~.¨, ,¨.~-*†£#@
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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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$\=~,.,¨¨¨ ¨¨¨,.,~=\$
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