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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 .,¨,¨~^*£#
#@@@@$/-^¨ river bed. ¨^-/$@@@@#
@¶%£†~..¨. .¨..~†£%¶@
####@£*«., / ,.«*£@####
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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 .^=†%£@###
#£§$%*†-:¨ invisible to my eyes but i can feel ¨:-†*%$§£#
##@£$*\=:¨ through the ground just how large it is. ¨:=\*$£@##
##@#%§;~~, ,~~;§%#@##
@@£=»=:,,, 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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