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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. ,:«»:*^&&#
##@@%=:=,¨ ¨,=:=%@@##
#@@&%%/-^¨ = ¨^-/%%&@@#
£#§%-,¨,.¨ ¨.,¨,-%§#£
####*^\~^¨ 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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