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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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