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#§§$^^/-,. statuette .,-/^^$§§#
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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 .~\^$&@###
##¶£%%*-^. already soaked up all the sun. .^-*%%£¶##
#¤$§*$^~,, ,,~^$*§$¤#
##£§¤=/«~, there's a river passing by, from east ,~«/=¤§£##
§%\»=..... to west, getting broader and deeper and .....=»\%§
##¶¤%%*~~, slower as it goes. equisetum grow just ,~~*%%¤¶##
##£@@=;»,. where the pine hands start to let .,»;=@@£##
@§%-=,¨.,. through light, horsemint on the rocky .,.¨,=-%§@
#£@;~.:--, river bed. ,--:.~;@£#
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##¶@£*=»:. † .:»=*£@¶##
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###@%*/=-¨ the riverbanks reek of magic. tonight ¨-=/*%@###
##@¤$†*-,, 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. .:=*$£§@@#
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@¶£¤*††«,. it's a statuette of a girl laying naked .,«††*¤£¶@
#£¶££*;»-. on her stomach, feet in the air, .-»;*££¶£#
##¶¤$*;»-, 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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