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@¤§:~¨,,¨, statuette ,¨,,¨~:§¤@
##@¤£*^-:. .:-^*£¤@##
###§%§^=.. %¤£*%@@*%@%*%$§&»-~»=»=«&%$&¤$$§%$&%£$$¤ ..=^§%§###
####§†\«-. &*$£@§%£@ .-«\†§####
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@¤§=»»~¨¨¨ forests around my childhood home. thick ¨¨¨~»»=§¤@
££@#£%*=-, pine arcades that were planted and ,-=*%£#@££
###&%§\»., forgotten. wild boars roaming ,.»\§%##
##@#&^†-,. underneath, sniffing at the ground. it .,-†^@##
#####%:~~. is dark and moist, the canopy having .~~:%#####
##@§*%\«:. already soaked up all the sun. .:«\%*§@##
##@£%†:=,. .,=:†%£@##
##@&%^=~-, there's a river passing by, from east ,-~=^%&@##
##¶@£^=»~. to west, getting broader and deeper and .~»=^£@¶##
#@#£%^\»^, slower as it goes. equisetum grow just ,^»\^%£#@#
##@¶#¤†*~, where the pine hands start to let ,~*†¤#¶@##
#@§=~,.¨.¨ through light, horsemint on the rocky ¨.¨.,~=§@#
#@¶£&†;~,, river bed. ,,~;†&£¶@#
#£&¤&%^«., ,.«^%&¤&£#
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##£@£§:»,. the riverbanks reek of magic. tonight .,»:§£@£##
##@#¤*\«~¨ they had been a swampworld with sylvan ¨~«\*¤#@##
@@@@$=:-^, 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. .^~=$¤####
#@†^»«¨,,, ,,,¨«»^†@#
#£\/:-,,¨, the soil is muddy. i slip when trying ,¨,,-:/\£#
¶##&§*\»,¨ to get up, still looking at the ¨,»\*§#¶
@^*†:~«»-, direction of sound rather than at my ,-»«~:†*^@
###§*%†»:¨ hands, who are busy putting things in ¨:»†%*§###
##¶@§%*~-¨ my pockets. ¨-~*%§@¶##
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#*†~,¨¨,,, then i run east toward my home. ,,,¨¨,~†*#
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@#£%$§==,¨ * ¨,==§$%£#@
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####£**~,. i am not followed, and slow down in the .,~**£####
#@@¤$†/~~. 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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