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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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@£=;:~~¨¨. ^ .¨¨~~:;=£@
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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. ,-~†%*##@#
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#@@£&**~~, 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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