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@¶&$†\~,.. statuette ..,~\†$&¶@
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##@#@*=~^¨ §££§££¤£$ ¨^~=*@#@##
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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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