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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. ,~«:§£¶###
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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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