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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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