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¤£%*=^,.¨¨ statuette ¨¨.,^=*%£¤
@#£§£*:«:¨ ¨:«:*£§£#@
###&%=†-:¨ %**§$$¤&§%@%§$$¤«~--~=~~§%@£$£¤£§&%¤£§%& ¨:-†=%##
##@£$%*-,¨ &*%%@¤£@¤ ¨,-*%$£@##
###¤§*\=.. ..=\*§¤###
@¶£#§^/»-¨ forests around my childhood home. thick ¨-»/^§#£¶@
#@@§£%*~~. pine arcades that were planted and .~~*%£§@@#
@@#&§$\~,, 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. ,¨,.¨^*§§#
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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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