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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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