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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. ¨.~*$§££@#
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#@£@$%=»^¨ \ ¨^»=%$@£@#
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£**=»~:^.. the riverbanks reek of magic. tonight ..^:~»=**£
#£@#§*†-,. they had been a swampworld with sylvan .,-†*§#@£#
###&%^=«:, water, stone rings and floating moss. ,:«=^%##
#@#£^\,.¨¨ you could've found me wallowing around ¨¨.,\^£#@#
##@£$*;»-. 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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