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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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