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;~~¨¨,¨..¨ ¨..¨,¨¨~~;
-~¨..¨.,,¨ ¨,,.¨..¨~-
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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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