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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. ¨,.:^«*^%£
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#¤†*»«,¨¨¨ 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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