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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 ,¨¨,,,.~$@
#@#&@^\-.¨ through light, horsemint on the rocky ¨.-\^@&#@#
#*§%~,¨.,¨ river bed. ¨,.¨,~%§*#
#£¤//-..,. .,..-//¤£#
##¶£¤§;»,. ; .,»;§¤£¶##
#@@@§%^»,. .,»^%§@@@#
####¤&%†«^ the riverbanks reek of magic. tonight ^«†%&¤####
##@@@†*»~, they had been a swampworld with sylvan ,~»*†@@@##
##@£&§^=~, water, stone rings and floating moss. ,~=^§&£@##
@*-~~~¨¨¨¨ you could've found me wallowing around ¨¨¨¨~~~-*@
#§£%§%;~.. on the southern shores until i got ..~;%§%£§#
####$*\»~¨ 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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##¶#&%;~-. * .-~;%&#¶##
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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. .¨.,,«^*%#
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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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