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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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