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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. .~»=*%£%@#
@##£*^*«,, ,,«*^*£##@
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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. ,,~\†£#@##
#@&*»,.,¨¨ ¨¨,.,»*&@#
#@&&%$=-.. / ..-=$%&&@#
&$%@§/;=-, ,-=;/§@%$&
##@&%$=»,¨ i am not followed, and slow down in the ¨,»=$%&@##
##@@£§/-,¨ 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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