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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 ¨:~:$¤@###
@@¤§::\~~¨ underneath, sniffing at the ground. it ¨~~\::§¤@@
###@&*†~., is dark and moist, the canopy having ,.~†*&@###
#&^%«,.,,. already soaked up all the sun. .,,.,«%^
##£&*$;»:. .:»;$*&£##
¤%§/\,..,. there's a river passing by, from east .,..,\/§%¤
###¤^-:.,, to west, getting broader and deeper and ,,.:-^¤###
@£@*=;~.,. slower as it goes. equisetum grow just .,.~;=*@£@
##@¤£†=~,. where the pine hands start to let .,~=†£¤@##
###¤§**~,, through light, horsemint on the rocky ,,~**§¤###
¶@¤§£*==,, river bed. ,,==*£§¤@¶
@##£%=/«^. .^«/=%£##@
#@#¤@§;»^¨ ; ¨^»;§@¤#@#
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##@&**^«,, the riverbanks reek of magic. tonight ,,«^**&@##
#@¶@§†=~.¨ they had been a swampworld with sylvan ¨.~=†§@¶@#
#@@¤$*^«^, water, stone rings and floating moss. ,^«^*$¤@@#
£#@£&%:~:¨ you could've found me wallowing around ¨:~:%&£@#£
¶%^-¨¨.,.¨ on the southern shores until i got ¨.,.¨¨-^%¶
#£@§&%^~~, bitten. ,~~^%&§@£#
###£$=;~,, ,,~;=$£###
##£*-~.,,¨ but now i'm further back, on solid ¨,,.~-*£##
##£@§=†~:. ground, in shoulder-high grass, with an .:~†=§@£##
#@£@%†^=,. orange tin radio and a translucent .,=^†%@£@#
###£¤%*~.. umbrella which i'm sitting on. ..~*%¤£###
££$»:¨,,.¨ ¨.,,¨:»$££
#@£^^=.,,. ^ .,,.=^^£@#
##¶£%**»:, ,:»**%£¶##
##@%@*/~,. somethings moving in the grass. it's .,~/*@%@##
##@¤$*/=^¨ 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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