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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. ,,,.,¨-^¤@
@#¤§*†^-:, ,:-^†*§¤#@
¤&^~:..,.. 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. ¨^»†*£####
#@¶¤¤=^~,. .,~^=¤¤¶@#
#@£&£§^~,¨ 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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