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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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###££$†-:¨ 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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