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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. .,»:¤@@###
#@$$=-~~~, ,~~~-=$$@#
#@¤=«¨¨,,. ^ .,,¨¨«=¤@#
§#¤=†;\=~. .~=\;†=¤#§
#%==....., 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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#@#¤&=;=.¨ ¨.=;=&¤#@#
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