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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. ,:»/$%####
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#@¶%^†«.¨. .¨.«†^%¶@#
###@**;=,¨ somethings moving in the grass. it's ¨,=;**@###
##£%=;«,,, invisible to my eyes but i can feel ,,,«;=%£##
###@¤$/~,, through the ground just how large it is. ,,~/$¤@###
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###@*=:»~¨ the soil is muddy. i slip when trying ¨~»:=*@###
##£$†\»-,, to get up, still looking at the ,,-»\†$£##
##@££%*~,¨ direction of sound rather than at my ¨,~*%££@##
###¤=;«-.. hands, who are busy putting things in ..-«;=¤###
###£$$\~,, my pockets. ,,~\$$£###
###&$\~.¨. .¨.~\$&###
##@#£$=«^. then i run east toward my home. .^«=$£#@##
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###£§=†»-. i am not followed, and slow down in the .-»†=§£###
##¶£===,.. clearing where you at first can spot ..,===£¶##
###@@^:=., the house, not yet really in the ,.=:^@@###
#@@%$;=:,¨ backyard. from my pockets i retrieve my ¨,:=;$%@@#
##@#&*\-,. radio (now dented) but also a small .,-\*&#@##
##¶*%^~,¨. clay figure i've never seen before. it .¨,~^%*¶##
####@**~,. must have been laying in the wet dirt, .,~**@####
#@#§=\-^,, and i must've picked it up with my ,,^-\=§#@#
##@@&**-,¨ other belongings. ¨,-**&@@##
##@$%:~^,. .,^~:%$@##
##@#§†^~,, it's a statuette of a girl laying naked ,,~^†§#@##
##££%^~-,, on her stomach, feet in the air, ,,-~^%££##
##@£@*=~-¨ roughly seven centimeters long. it's ¨-~=*@£@##
##@$%\-.., freshly made, not yet completely dried. ,..-\%$@##
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#@@$^*«,,. my mom is here now. i ask her for some .,,«*^$@@#
###@$$/«:¨ particle board for it to dry on, but ¨:«/$$@###
###*%*=~., she is worried and wants me to ,.~=*%*###
###¶%=†=,. throw it away. .,=†=%¶###
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