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##@@%†;-~. statuette .~-;†%@@##
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##@¤¤^^=,. §@@&%%@%&£%¤&%§%-~«~»~~»¤$¤£@§¤&¤§§$$¤¤¤ .,=^^¤¤@##
##@&@$/«~. ¤*$$£$&&$ .~«/$@&@##
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¶@@#*^^--. forests around my childhood home. thick .--^^*#@@¶
###&£$\-^. 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. ¨:»\§*¤@##
##@@%*;=^. .^=;*%@@##
###@¤$§-~, then i run east toward my home. ,~-§$¤@###
#@@&*=;~-, ,-~;=*&@@#
¶#£†~«»,.. * ..,»«~†£#¶
@#*=»»¨,.. ..,¨»»=*#@
##@&%†;~,¨ 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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