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####£††~:¨ ¨:~††£####
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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 ¨,~*^%&@##
#¶£¤@$\~~, invisible to my eyes but i can feel ,~~\$@¤£¶#
#£&/,¨¨.., through the ground just how large it is. ,..¨¨,/&£#
##@£%===:, ,:===%£@##
###§¤†=-.¨ the soil is muddy. i slip when trying ¨.-=†¤§###
#@£§***~,, to get up, still looking at the ,,~***§£@#
£&†^††^-~¨ direction of sound rather than at my ¨~-^††^†&£
##¶#*^:~.. hands, who are busy putting things in ..~:^*#¶##
###¶¤*;~,¨ my pockets. ¨,~;*¤¶###
@£*¤@=/-~. .~-/=@¤*£@
####@%§»,. then i run east toward my home. .,»§%@####
@*~«...¨¨, ,¨¨...«~*@
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##@@@&=».. i am not followed, and slow down in the ..»=&@@@##
@§=-,¨¨,¨. clearing where you at first can spot .¨,¨¨,-=§@
¤&***«-,,¨ the house, not yet really in the ¨,,-«***&¤
#£$«.,¨.¨, 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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