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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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#@#£%*=-^. * .^-=*%£#@#
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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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####§*:~.¨ ¨.~:*§####
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