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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. ¨.~;^$§#@#
£%†~,.,..¨ ¨..,.,~†%£
&£$»,-,.¨. ^ .¨.,-,»$£&
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§§*;:^:.,. somethings moving in the grass. it's .,.:^:;*§§
####%§^--, invisible to my eyes but i can feel ,--^§%####
##¶§£§^=^, through the ground just how large it is. ,^=^§£§¶##
##£¤§%=~.. ..~=%§¤£##
###¤£%†~,. the soil is muddy. i slip when trying .,~†%£¤###
##@@%^*=.¨ to get up, still looking at the ¨.=*^%@@##
#@#&$§=-~¨ direction of sound rather than at my ¨~-=§$@#
¤£=-,¨¨,,, hands, who are busy putting things in ,,,¨¨,-=£¤
§†*:\:..,¨ my pockets. ¨,..:\:*†§
@†/-«¨,..¨ ¨..,¨«-/†@
##@#§$/«-¨ then i run east toward my home. ¨-«/$§#@##
###&£^†«^¨ ¨^«†^£##
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####@%/»,, i am not followed, and slow down in the ,,»/%@####
@@&†-~.,-, clearing where you at first can spot ,-,.~-†&@@
##£§%^†~,. the house, not yet really in the .,~†^%§£##
##£&%†\»,¨ backyard. from my pockets i retrieve my ¨,»\†%&£##
@#¤&¤%\»,¨ radio (now dented) but also a small ¨,»\%¤&¤#@
§*\-~-¨¨.. clay figure i've never seen before. it ..¨¨-~-\*§
£#§%%%^»~, must have been laying in the wet dirt, ,~»^%%%§#£
#£%==»-.¨, and i must've picked it up with my ,¨.-»==%£#
##¶¤¤===^, other belongings. ,^===¤¤¶##
@§¤§\~,,.¨ ¨.,,~\§¤§@
#@@£&%*-,. it's a statuette of a girl laying naked .,-*%&£@@#
#@¶@§§;«^. on her stomach, feet in the air, .^«;§§@¶@#
#$¤^†^».¨, 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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