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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 ¨,¨,~«;$¤#
#£¤@:-,... hands, who are busy putting things in ...,-:@¤£#
##£¤*;«,,, my pockets. ,,,«;*¤£##
####¤$^=:¨ ¨:=^$¤####
##£££*=~,¨ then i run east toward my home. ¨,~=*£££##
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##££*~.¨.. ..¨.~*££##
###¤**«:., i am not followed, and slow down in the ,.:«**¤###
###¶¤§^=.¨ clearing where you at first can spot ¨.=^§¤¶###
##@¤£†«:¨¨ the house, not yet really in the ¨¨:«†£¤@##
#@§&^«,¨¨, backyard. from my pockets i retrieve my ,¨¨,«^&§@#
@&&*~,..¨¨ radio (now dented) but also a small ¨¨..,~*&&@
###$\-.¨¨. 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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