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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. ,,»==%&#
#@#§£*†=,, ,,=†*£§#@#
@££%%$†=,. / .,=†$%%££@
##£&%§==^, ,^==§%&£##
##@¤&*=»,, 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. ,-~:%&£@##
###&£§†~.¨ ¨.~†§£##
£%†.:,¨,¨¨ 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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