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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 ,,,-«%§%¶£
##@§$†\=~, river bed. ,~=\†$§@##
####£%==^. .^==%£####
##££%§;-,, ^ ,,-;§%££##
##@#&†^»:¨ ¨:»^†&#@##
§%**;-..,. 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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