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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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###¤%†;~~, 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. ¨,¨.=^\*§#
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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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£#@=^,,¨,, ,,¨,,^=@#£
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