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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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