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