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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 ,,,.,»$£##
£%=~..¨,¨, slower as it goes. equisetum grow just ,¨,¨..~=%£
@§£==»~... where the pine hands start to let ...~»==£§@
#@##*†;~~¨ through light, horsemint on the rocky ¨~~;†*##@#
###&%*:~^, river bed. ,^~:*%&###
¶#£*,,.¨¨¨ ¨¨¨.,,*£#¶
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#@@¤%^†«,¨ the riverbanks reek of magic. tonight ¨,«†^%¤@@#
&@£&††*»^¨ they had been a swampworld with sylvan ¨^»*††&£@&
###@&*=«,, water, stone rings and floating moss. ,,«=*&@###
@%;^:*==^¨ you could've found me wallowing around ¨^==*:^;%@
£@£§%~.¨¨¨ on the southern shores until i got ¨¨¨.~%§£@£
@¶@@;~,¨,, bitten. ,,¨,~;@@¶@
###@$*†-,. .,-†*$@###
#@¶£$**~-, 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. ,~»/§%$£¤#
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¶&$^:,.¨¨¨ = ¨¨¨.,:^$&¶
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####*%/»^¨ somethings moving in the grass. it's ¨^»/%*####
###£$*:-,. 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 ,~-^†$§@##
##@#¤^†-,¨ hands, who are busy putting things in ¨,-†^¤#@##
@§@§¤%;-,, my pockets. ,,-;%¤§@§@
##@#£^=~:. .:~=^£#@##
@¶@*^-»-,, then i run east toward my home. ,,-»-^*@¶@
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#@#¤%**»-. i am not followed, and slow down in the .-»**%¤#@#
&†=,.,.¨¨¨ clearing where you at first can spot ¨¨¨.,.,=†&
#@@£&%=-~. the house, not yet really in the .~-=%&£@@#
£¶@%*%=«:, backyard. from my pockets i retrieve my ,:«=%*%@¶£
§£%-,,,¨,, radio (now dented) but also a small ,,¨,,,-%£§
##¶¤@=^=^. clay figure i've never seen before. it .^=^=@¤¶##
¤&§£:-...¨ must have been laying in the wet dirt, ¨...-:£§&¤
@##§&=;-^. and i must've picked it up with my .^-;=&§##@
##&§†.,¨., other belongings. ,.¨,.†§&##
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##@£%§;~,. it's a statuette of a girl laying naked .,~;§%£@##
#@##£=^-~. on her stomach, feet in the air, .~-^=£##@#
###&*^/»-¨ roughly seven centimeters long. it's ¨-»/^*&###
&@$%§%;~,. 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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