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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. ¨--^%$@@##
#@#£§%^=^¨ ¨^=^%§£#@#
@£%/^^^,,. then i run east toward my home. .,,^^^/%£@
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#@#&¤%*=^. : .^=*%¤&#@#
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@@¤&$^;~,¨ 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. ¨¨¨.-=^=&£
###§$%=«~¨ ¨~«=%$§###
#@@&%^:=,¨ 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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