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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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