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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. .,«==¤£@§@
##¶¤*§^-~¨ ¨~-^§*¤¶##
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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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##£§§=/«,¨ ; ¨,«/=§§£##
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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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####£^*=,, ,,=*^£####
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