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#@#@$$†~,. statuette .,~†$$@#@#
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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 ¨.«/%$§@##
##&§†^~¨¨. on the southern shores until i got .¨¨~^†§&##
¤@&%~~.¨¨. bitten. .¨¨.~~%&@¤
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£%*^-,,.., but now i'm further back, on solid ,..,,-^*%£
###@%==-^¨ ground, in shoulder-high grass, with an ¨^-==%@###
@§=-..¨,.¨ orange tin radio and a translucent ¨.,¨..-=§@
###@%†;-,¨ umbrella which i'm sitting on. ¨,-;†%@###
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##@£§†;»-. ; .-»;†§£@##
#@#§&*^-.¨ ¨.-^*&§#@#
####@†;=~, somethings moving in the grass. it's ,~=;†@####
##@#£†*~^¨ invisible to my eyes but i can feel ¨^~*†£#@##
§=††=~~.,. through the ground just how large it is. .,.~~=††=§
@£&#$^†~:. .:~†^$#&£@
#$*,..¨,,, 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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