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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. ,¨,.^=*%£@
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#@@¤%$=»-. there's a river passing by, from east .-»=$%¤@@#
£§&¤:,^:,, 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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