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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 ,,¨««†$^@#
##£¤@==~^¨ umbrella which i'm sitting on. ¨^~==@¤£##
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##@£$^=~:, ; ,:~=^$£@##
#&§*^.,.¨¨ ¨¨.,.^*§&#
@#¤@=\/~^. somethings moving in the grass. it's .^~/\=@¤#@
#§&%£§†«., invisible to my eyes but i can feel ,.«†§£%&§#
##@#@*†»:. through the ground just how large it is. .:»†*@#@##
##¶£$**-~¨ ¨~-**$£¶##
@@&$~..¨,, the soil is muddy. i slip when trying ,,¨..~$&@@
#&§£=»~,¨, to get up, still looking at the ,¨,~»=£§&#
###@&£†;,¨ direction of sound rather than at my ¨,;†£&@###
¤^%-.,¨.,¨ hands, who are busy putting things in ¨,.¨,.-%^¤
#&*=~«,-., my pockets. ,.-,«~=*&#
##¶#£*;-:¨ ¨:-;*£#¶##
@¤¤£¤=†~~, then i run east toward my home. ,~~†=¤£¤¤@
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£%=:,.¨¨,, \ ,,¨¨.,:=%£
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##@&**†-.. i am not followed, and slow down in the ..-†**&@##
####&=\~., clearing where you at first can spot ,.~\=&####
##@§&†:«,, the house, not yet really in the ,,«:†&§@##
@@@££*/»~. backyard. from my pockets i retrieve my .~»/*££@@@
¤¤%†^-,..¨ radio (now dented) but also a small ¨..,-^†%¤¤
##@#¤=†-~¨ clay figure i've never seen before. it ¨~-†=¤#@##
#&%£†-¨,¨¨ must have been laying in the wet dirt, ¨¨,¨-†£%&#
#@@@%%*».. and i must've picked it up with my ..»*%%@@@#
¶$@@†/,,,. 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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