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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. .,»:%%&@##
####§†^»,, ,,»^†§####
##@@#%=»-. 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. ..¨¨~«%¤@@
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##£¤¤†^«-¨ 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. ,¨¨~~*£*$£
####$*/~~¨ ¨~~/*$####
#@¶§@*/-:, my mom is here now. i ask her for some ,:-/*@§¶@#
@¶$;\~,.¨, particle board for it to dry on, but ,¨.,~\;$¶@
####&†^--. she is worried and wants me to .--^†&####
#§£^;~~:¨. throw it away. .¨:~~;^£§#
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