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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. ¨.,..¨=§§@
@#£†*^:~-, ,-~:^*†£#@
#¶&@$§:~,, then i run east toward my home. ,,~:§$@&¶#
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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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