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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. .-=*=*£@@#
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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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