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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. .,«;^@@@##
#@¶@£=†~^, ,^~†=£@¶@#
#£#$~,¨..¨ * ¨..¨,~$#£#
@#^».¨¨.., ,..¨¨.»^#@
###§%=^»-¨ 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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