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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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