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####£=†»,¨ ¨,»†=£####
&#†».,-... statuette ...-,.»†#&
¶$/:,¨.¨¨. .¨¨.¨,:/$¶
@¶£@@*†»., $¤$&&@££¤¤$&¤¤%§~=----=-@¤@§$*$$§&$§@%&% ,.»†*@@£¶@
##@§&*;»-, %£@%$§§$% ,-»;*&§@##
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##@@#§^--¨ forests around my childhood home. thick ¨--^§#@@##
¶*^*.¨..., pine arcades that were planted and ,...¨.*^*¶
@¤#¤\=:,¨. forgotten. wild boars roaming .¨,:=\¤#¤@
##¶¤&%*~,, underneath, sniffing at the ground. it ,,~*%&¤¶##
@£†~-¨,¨¨, is dark and moist, the canopy having ,¨¨,¨-~†£@
#@^\~:,¨.. already soaked up all the sun. ..¨,:~\^@#
##¶¤%$:~-. .-~:$%¤¶##
##£§$§:»:. there's a river passing by, from east .:»:§$§£##
£$^-,¨,¨.. to west, getting broader and deeper and ..¨,¨,-^$£
###&$%==:. slower as it goes. equisetum grow just .:==%$&###
#£@¤§*†=,¨ where the pine hands start to let ¨,=†*§¤@£#
#@#§%%\=-¨ through light, horsemint on the rocky ¨-=\%%§#@#
@@£@¤†=~.¨ river bed. ¨.~=†¤@£@@
###§$*==-. .-==*$§###
##@£%*:~-, / ,-~:*%£@##
###@§^†»~, ,~»†^§@###
&%=-:¨,¨.¨ the riverbanks reek of magic. tonight ¨.¨,¨:-=%&
##@¤£*=-~. they had been a swampworld with sylvan .~-=*£¤@##
#@#£§$:~~, water, stone rings and floating moss. ,~~:$§£#@#
####$§*»,. you could've found me wallowing around .,»*§$####
¶$=~~»-:.¨ on the southern shores until i got ¨.:-»~~=$¶
¶##£%†:,^, bitten. ,^,:†%£##¶
#@£&£§*-:, ,:-*§£&£@#
###&¤§;=,. but now i'm further back, on solid .,=;§¤&###
#§†/-~,,,¨ ground, in shoulder-high grass, with an ¨,,,~-/†§#
##¶&$$\=~, 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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