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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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##@£$%*»-¨ 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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