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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. ,,-»»*$%@@
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###@&%%;-^ : ^-;%%&@###
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####¤^^«^, somethings moving in the grass. it's ,^«^^¤####
##£¤%%\»:. invisible to my eyes but i can feel .:»\%%¤£##
#£&†*;,¨,¨ through the ground just how large it is. ¨,¨,;*†&£#
#@¶§%**-~¨ ¨~-**%§¶@#
##@#$*^«.. 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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