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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. ,~-/%£§#@#
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###££$:=,, ; ,,=:$££###
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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. ..-*^%#£#@
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###&@%†~-¨ 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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