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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. ,^~=§@§###
##¤%†=-.¨¨ ¨¨.-=†%¤##
##@#£§/-~¨ / ¨~-/§£#@##
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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. .,-:%££###
@#&$†^«:.. ..:«^†$@
###@*§\~,, / ,,~\§*@###
@¶&*%*~,.. ..,~*%*&¶@
#@#&**^».. 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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