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##@&†^~,¨, statuette ,¨,~^†&@##
###£#^;~,. .,~;^#£###
##@#%/«^,. £%$*%£$**$¤*$§$*«-~«»-«~*£§$£%¤&§*%££%££ .,^«/%#@##
##¤$\».,¨, &£%*$%%£% ,¨,.»\$¤##
@#%†«~¨.¨. .¨.¨~«†%#@
##&=^«,¨., 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 .:=*$¤@###
##£&*:~,¨. bitten. .¨,~:*&£##
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¶&%^=,.... but now i'm further back, on solid ....,=^%&¶
#£@%/»^,,. ground, in shoulder-high grass, with an .,,^»/%@£#
##@£%;~... orange tin radio and a translucent ...~;%£@##
###@¤$*=-¨ 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. ¨.¨.-:=###
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##&^^«-.,. 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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