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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 ,,¨,.«*$§#
§§£%=,,,¨¨ through light, horsemint on the rocky ¨¨,,,=%£§§
@#&£*«,,.. river bed. ..,,«*£&#@
££&@%^\»-¨ ¨-»\^%@&££
£¤%£%».¨., * ,.¨.»%£%¤£
###¤%%\«:¨ ¨:«\%%¤###
@*&:~-~¨.. the riverbanks reek of magic. tonight ..¨~-~:&*@
#@£#¤%:»,¨ they had been a swampworld with sylvan ¨,»:%¤#£@#
&£@$*=~,.¨ 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. ¨~»;$¤@@##
#£#$//.,¨. .¨,.//$#£#
##¶¤%=\=^. the soil is muddy. i slip when trying .^=\=%¤¶##
@£%\«^.,¨. to get up, still looking at the .¨,.^«\%£@
##@§%*=«:¨ direction of sound rather than at my ¨:«=*%§@##
##@#££=-^, hands, who are busy putting things in ,^-=££#@##
@##¤¤†*=.¨ my pockets. ¨.=*†¤¤##@
#*$§^^^.¨, ,¨.^^^§$*#
##@@%**-:¨ then i run east toward my home. ¨:-**%@@##
@@¶@£§^»^, ,^»^§£@¶@@
§&\†,¨,,.¨ = ¨.,,¨,†\&§
##§;=,-~¨, ,¨~-,=;§##
&&£@*^\~,. i am not followed, and slow down in the .,~\^*@£&&
@#§†»»~~:¨ clearing where you at first can spot ¨:~~»»†§#@
#@¤*/^:~,. the house, not yet really in the .,~:^/*¤@#
#£@@$=;~,. 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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