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###@$*;»., statuette ,.»;*$@###
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####%^^»~. %§¤@£%&$@¤*$*$*@=~-«»~~~$§¤*§&%£§%¤¤*@%$ .~»^^%####
@&†*\-=.¨. £%%&§££¤¤ .¨.=-\*†&@
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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. ¨-~:†%&¶@#
#=\,.¨.¨,, ,,¨.¨.,\=#
#@£@&*\-.¨ 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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