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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. ¨.~/*$££##
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£§£=«~:,., 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. ,,..¨./*&£
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##¶@§*=»~. 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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