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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. ¨,-*§£§###
&=»,¨,¨,¨. .¨,¨,¨,»=&
##££@^=-,¨ † ¨,-=^@££##
##@§%^^~,, ,,~^^%§@##
@£¤*-,.,,¨ 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 ..,¨~†*§&@
@@%$†~-¨,¨ through the ground just how large it is. ¨,¨-~†$%@@
#@@&$%/~~¨ ¨~~/%$&@@#
&%$\,,.... the soil is muddy. i slip when trying ....,,\$%&
##£§£%^=,, to get up, still looking at the ,,=^%£§£##
@#£&§%;=.¨ direction of sound rather than at my ¨.=;%§&£#@
#&%%:»=~~. hands, who are busy putting things in .~~=»:%%&#
¶¤§*~..,¨, my pockets. ,¨,..~*§¤¶
##¶&¤†;~:, ,:~;†¤&¶##
####¤£†/~: then i run east toward my home. :~/†£¤####
#§¤§$=:-^¨ ¨^-:=$§¤§#
#$%*†-,¨¨. * .¨¨,-†*%$#
#$\~.¨¨.,. .,.¨¨.~\$#
##@£%=;~:¨ 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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