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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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