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#§;=.:~~,. statuette .,~~:.=;§#
##@&@*\~,. .,~\*@&@##
&¤%*^^.,,, $%£%%%¤&$§§*£@$$«~«==»=«£%%¤%¤$@%£%$¤§@@ ,,,.^^*%¤&
#@@&£$†~,. $@&£$%*&$ .,~†$£&@@#
#@@#£=*~~¨ ¨~~*=£#@@#
##¶§*$=~,. 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. ,¨,¨,¨^:§¶
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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. ¨,.~«~»§$&
£$$†^%\~:, ,:~\%^†$$£
&%^*;».¨¨, then i run east toward my home. ,¨¨.»;*^%&
##£#@*†~-, ,-~†*@#£##
§$^»-¨,¨,. \ .,¨,¨-»^$§
##@¤$$*=:. .:=*$$¤@##
£@&*§===-¨ i am not followed, and slow down in the ¨-===§*&@£
#$£:^~~,,. clearing where you at first can spot .,,~~^:£$#
£¤&$%=*=:, the house, not yet really in the ,:=*=%$&¤£
##@@£§/-,¨ backyard. from my pockets i retrieve my ¨,-/§£@@##
@@¶§%*=-,. radio (now dented) but also a small .,-=*%§¶@@
##@##$$=:. 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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