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