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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 ,¨¨¨^~†£@#
##£$%*:=:¨ river bed. ¨:=:*%$£##
#£=-~¨,,.. ..,,¨~-=£#
#&%%-,,,,, * ,,,,,-%%&#
###&§=*~-. .-~*=§&###
##@¤@††»-¨ 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. ,:-=^£##@#
#¶&%»-».¨, ,¨.»-»%&¶#
##@#***«.. * ..«***#@##
#*¤%*~»... ...»~*%¤*#
#£@@¤%/».. 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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