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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 .~~=%@@@##
##@¤$^*~~. umbrella which i'm sitting on. .~~*^$¤@##
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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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