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