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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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#@@£$%=«~. the riverbanks reek of magic. tonight .~«=%$£@@#
###@$*/~,. they had been a swampworld with sylvan .,~/*$@###
#@#&@*†-,, 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. .^»=§¤####
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##@#*$†»:. then i run east toward my home. .:»†$*#@##
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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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