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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. ¨,¨~=^;$§@
@@%=»-..¨¨ ¨¨..-»=%@@
##£*=»-¨.. \ ..¨-»=*£##
@§=*/»«,,¨ ¨,,«»/*=§@
@#¤$=*:.¨. 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. .,,,.:~/$#
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#¶£@%$^-,¨ ; ¨,-^$%@£¶#
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@=%$^~~»^¨ 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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