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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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#¶§$*:^,.. / ..,^:*$§¶#
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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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