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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. .¨.-~%$@##
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##¶@£^\«~¨ ; ¨~«\^£@¶##
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£@@#$%=«-, 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 .^»*$*@@##
&%†\^.¨..¨ ground, in shoulder-high grass, with an ¨..¨.^\†%&
@##££†/=-. orange tin radio and a translucent .-=/†££##@
#@#¤§%:~,. umbrella which i'm sitting on. .,~:%§¤#@#
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###@&^^~:. = .:~^^&@###
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#£%=,,..¨, somethings moving in the grass. it's ,¨..,,=%£#
##¶@*%^»^¨ invisible to my eyes but i can feel ¨^»^%*@¶##
@*$@*/;~,, 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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