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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. .,¨,.†§§
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#@@§£*/«,¨ 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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##£§£†=«,¨ / ¨,«=†£§£##
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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. ¨.¨¨,,«*@#
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##¶¤&^*«.. 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. ,.~**£§###
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#%£*,-¨.¨, 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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