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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 ¨¨-»†*¤¶@#
#¶#$^-,¨,¨ through light, horsemint on the rocky ¨,¨,-^$#¶#
¶£$^»,.,., river bed. ,.,.,»^$£¶
##&£\~:,.¨ ¨.,:~\£&##
##@££\~,.. \ ..,~\££@##
##@##§/»,¨ ¨,»/§##@##
##@£&:~^,. 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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