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