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##¶££%*=,¨ ¨,=*%££¶##
##£§§%:~,¨ statuette ¨,~:%§§£##
###@&§^-~¨ ¨~-^§&@###
####£%*~-, $@££¤$¤%$%£%&$&$~-»~=~»-£**&*%@¤$%¤*£££% ,-~*%£####
@#¶§%*\~,¨ $$&£@%§¤§ ¨,~\*%§¶#@
###£*^^-:¨ ¨:-^^*£###
##@&%$\-^, forests around my childhood home. thick ,^-\$%&@##
###¤%§;=^. pine arcades that were planted and .^=;§%¤###
#£:^-..¨¨. forgotten. wild boars roaming .¨¨..-^:£#
###¤%§:=.. underneath, sniffing at the ground. it ..=:§%¤###
@¤@%†:,,,, is dark and moist, the canopy having ,,,,:†%@¤@
@@¶#£†\-~. already soaked up all the sun. .~-\†£#¶@@
##@@£*=«-¨ ¨-«=*£@@##
£#$%$%\-,, there's a river passing by, from east ,,-\%$%$#£
§§\~-,,,., to west, getting broader and deeper and ,.,,,-~\§§
&£%«,¨¨¨.. slower as it goes. equisetum grow just ..¨¨¨,«%£&
#@£*»:,,¨. where the pine hands start to let .¨,,:»*£@#
##@¤£^^~:¨ through light, horsemint on the rocky ¨:~^^£¤@##
##@&¤^^»:, river bed. ,:»^^¤&@##
##£§%*=-:. .:-=*%§£##
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#@@^*;~,¨. .¨,~;*^@@#
¤@†^*%*=,¨ the riverbanks reek of magic. tonight ¨,=*%*^†@¤
#££&%^†«~¨ they had been a swampworld with sylvan ¨~«†^%&££#
¤£§==,..¨. water, stone rings and floating moss. .¨..,==§£¤
§§*^~».:-, you could've found me wallowing around ,-:.»~^*§§
&%~^^,.... on the southern shores until i got ....,^^~%&
##@@$†=«.. bitten. ..«=†$@@##
#@¶£¤§^~^, ,^~^§¤£¶@#
£#*\~..,,¨ but now i'm further back, on solid ¨,,..~\*#£
###&%=†--¨ ground, in shoulder-high grass, with an ¨--†=%&###
@@§«:¨,..¨ orange tin radio and a translucent ¨..,¨:«§@@
@#&£*«,... umbrella which i'm sitting on. ...,«*£&#@
##££*^=~^. .^~=^*££##
#£§%$$:~,¨ = ¨,~:$$%§£#
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##^†;;»»,, somethings moving in the grass. it's ,,»»;;†^##
##@¤£$*~,. invisible to my eyes but i can feel .,~*$£¤@##
##¶¤$$†=,, 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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