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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 ,,«;†%%$§#
##@£@*;-,, ground, in shoulder-high grass, with an ,,-;*@£@##
####&*\»~. orange tin radio and a translucent .~»\*&####
##£@§%/~.¨ umbrella which i'm sitting on. ¨.~/%§@£##
##@§£††«,. .,«††£§@##
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#$%£\†»~^. .^~»†\£%$#
#@¶&**\=:¨ somethings moving in the grass. it's ¨:=\**&¶@#
##@§%=;=-, invisible to my eyes but i can feel ,-=;=%§@##
#&%*»¨,¨,¨ through the ground just how large it is. ¨,¨,¨»*%&#
#@£¤£††«,. .,«††£¤£@#
#%%^«,¨.¨. the soil is muddy. i slip when trying .¨.¨,«^%%#
##@#&*:~:¨ to get up, still looking at the ¨:~:*&#@##
¶¤&*^~.¨,¨ direction of sound rather than at my ¨,¨.~^*&¤¶
@#£&*^*-,. hands, who are busy putting things in .,-*^*&£#@
##¶£%†*=,, my pockets. ,,=*†%£¶##
£§§\^-~:^, ,^:~-^\§§£
#¤%~~,,¨¨, then i run east toward my home. ,¨¨,,~~%¤#
#@%$;~~,,¨ ¨,,~~;$%@#
##£¤£%/-,¨ \ ¨,-/%£¤£##
§%:,¨..¨,¨ ¨,¨..¨,:%§
##£#%$^-^. 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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