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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 .¨¨.,*%*¶#
###¤£$\»-, hands, who are busy putting things in ,-»\$£¤###
#@@££*/=^¨ my pockets. ¨^=/*££@@#
##@@%†=»^¨ ¨^»=†%@@##
#@##%=\~,, then i run east toward my home. ,,~\=%##@#
#@@¤&^*~:¨ ¨:~*^&¤@@#
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#@@#$%/»:¨ 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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