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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. ,.^»**%§@#
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##&¤^/~,.¨ 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. ¨.,~;*§£@#
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@#&£$:»,¨. but now i'm further back, on solid .¨,»:$£&#@
¶#§*;»^.¨, 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 ¨¨-«=^¤@##
###£$%;=,. my pockets. .,=;%$£###
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#§¤=^»,... 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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