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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. ,~»^†§@@##
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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. ,...:=;%@£
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#@#%†;-^,. 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 .,,,,~:^¤£
@@$%:»:,,¨ other belongings. ¨,,:»:%$@@
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###@@§/~-, 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. ¨.,¨^~\%£@
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#££§*/»,¨¨ 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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