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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. ,=\*$¤¶###
##¶&%*/-^, ,^-/*%&¶##
###@£%%/~- ^ -~/%%£@###
####*%†~,, ,,~†%*####
####¤*††~~ somethings moving in the grass. it's ~~††*¤####
##¶#$§/=.. 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. ,=^†&£####
##£¤%*†»., ,.»†*%¤£##
###@¤$$†-. † .-†$$¤@###
##@§£=:»:. .:»:=£§@##
###¶&£%;~~ 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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