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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. ..«*=$%^
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£&%*:/~,¨, but now i'm further back, on solid ,¨,~/:*%&£
###¤¤§=»^¨ ground, in shoulder-high grass, with an ¨^»=§¤¤###
##@@£†^-~¨ orange tin radio and a translucent ¨~-^†£@@##
¤*==.~~¨ umbrella which i'm sitting on. ¨~~.==*¤#&
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¤£¤§**~,., somethings moving in the grass. it's ,.,~**§¤£¤
#§^=~,..¨, invisible to my eyes but i can feel ,¨..,~=^§#
@%£%*$:~.¨ through the ground just how large it is. ¨.~:$*%£%@
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##£§$^†~:¨ 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. ,,=/†¤@$@¶
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##¶¤&==-~¨ it's a statuette of a girl laying naked ¨~-==&¤¶##
@@§†~«~,., on her stomach, feet in the air, ,.,~«~†§@@
####£%=-~, roughly seven centimeters long. it's ,~-=%£####
#££\^~~~~. freshly made, not yet completely dried. .~~~~^\££#
#@@&£=\«,, ,,«\=£&@@#
#=^§*=..,. my mom is here now. i ask her for some .,..=*§^=#
###£%%:»,¨ particle board for it to dry on, but ¨,»:%%£###
@##¤&%*~~, she is worried and wants me to ,~~*%&¤##@
@¶#¤$%^~-, throw it away. ,-~^%$¤#¶@
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