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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. ¨.~†=§####
£$:-.¨.,.. ..,.¨.-:$£
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#@£&$^\--¨ somethings moving in the grass. it's ¨--\^$&£@#
##¤%^»¨.,. invisible to my eyes but i can feel .,.¨»^%¤##
£^%$\†^.,, through the ground just how large it is. ,,.^†\$%^£
&$§§**=~.. ..~=**§§$&
#@@£@=/=:, the soil is muddy. i slip when trying ,:=/=@£@@#
####%§\~,. to get up, still looking at the .,~\§%####
@£§^:«-,¨, direction of sound rather than at my ,¨,-«:^§£@
###@@%*~~, hands, who are busy putting things in ,~~*%@@###
#§&\~¨,,.¨ my pockets. ¨.,,¨~\&§#
@¤%*»,..¨. .¨..,»*%¤@
#§&&@%^-.. then i run east toward my home. ..-^%@&&§#
##¶¤£$:=~. .~=:$£¤¶##
£#§*=,.¨¨. \ .¨¨.,=*§#£
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@¤§&†$:~:, 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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