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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. ¨-=\†*@@#@
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£§*\»,,... 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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####£†/=^¨ ¨^=/†£####
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