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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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