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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 .,«\†$#£@#
####£*:~~, river bed. ,~~:*£####
##¤@%$/=,, ,,=/$%@¤##
@#¶§¤$^~,. † .,~^$¤§¶#@
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#*£\~.,¨.. the riverbanks reek of magic. tonight ..¨,.~\£*#
@¶&%†«,¨,¨ they had been a swampworld with sylvan ¨,¨,«†%&¶@
#@@&¤§:«^. water, stone rings and floating moss. .^«:§¤&@@#
¶@:.:~~¨¨, you could've found me wallowing around ,¨¨~~:.:@¶
¶£#§*^«¨¨. on the southern shores until i got .¨¨«^*§#£¶
##£&@^:«^¨ bitten. ¨^«:^@&£##
##¶¤£§\--¨ ¨--\§£¤¶##
£%$»-,.¨¨, 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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