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#@£#$%/«,¨ ¨,«/%$#£@#
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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. ¨,,¨.-;§%@
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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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