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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. ¨~~;%&¤###
¶££@:\=-^. .^-=\:@££¶
&$~.,,.,.¨ = ¨.,.,,.~$&
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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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