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#¶§&††=:.. ..:=††&§¶#
#¤$†*»,¨¨, statuette ,¨¨,»*†$¤#
@¶#$§\»,.¨ ¨.,»\§$#¶@
#@#@$=/»~. @%*¤££@*¤*&%$%&*»«-=-~~«§%£&$%@%@¤%@*¤*& .~»/=$@#@#
#¶§%=†~-,¨ *£$%$%£&% ¨,-~†=%§¶#
¶&*^=«,,.. ..,,«=^*&¶
@£#£%^«^¨. 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. ,,.~=$%£@#
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@#@*%\«-., * ,.-«\%*@#@
#@@&@*\~,¨ ¨,~\*@&@@#
##£@*†=^.. somethings moving in the grass. it's ..^=†*@£##
@#%$*~,,,. 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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