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###§$%:-~. statuette .~-:%$§###
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&§*«.¨,.., @%$%¤£@§£ ,..,¨.«*§&
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#£&$£%==:, 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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