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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. ,¨¨¨^;;&§¤
#@@¤§**~^. .^~**§¤@@#
#@@&*=†--, = ,--†=*&@@#
####§£*»,. .,»*£§####
#@$^*».,,, the riverbanks reek of magic. tonight ,,,.»*^$@#
@@@¤&%*~:¨ 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 ¨,-*%%*§@¶
#&$@^\~-.¨ direction of sound rather than at my ¨.-~\^@$&#
##$$\-.,¨¨ hands, who are busy putting things in ¨¨,.-\$$##
@@##%^;».. my pockets. ..»;^%##@@
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###§$†;»^. then i run east toward my home. .^»;†$§###
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###¶$%^»^, i am not followed, and slow down in the ,^»^%$¶###
##¶£$†:~:, clearing where you at first can spot ,:~:†$£¶##
@&:-,:.... the house, not yet really in the ....:,-:&@
#¶@§¤$†»-. backyard. from my pockets i retrieve my .-»†$¤§@¶#
@&^†=\-=^. radio (now dented) but also a small .^=-\=†^&@
##£#*§;-,, clay figure i've never seen before. it ,,-;§*#£##
#§§@¤%=«,, must have been laying in the wet dirt, ,,«=%¤@§§#
@#@#%^/»-, and i must've picked it up with my ,-»/^%#@#@
###@§@\-,. other belongings. .,-\@§@###
#%£^=.¨,,¨ ¨,,¨.=^£%#
@@@#§$/-~¨ it's a statuette of a girl laying naked ¨~-/$§#@@@
#@£@@$;«^¨ on her stomach, feet in the air, ¨^«;$@@£@#
##£&@%/~-, roughly seven centimeters long. it's ,-~/%@&£##
#&$^^;~,¨, freshly made, not yet completely dried. ,¨,~;^^$&#
@@#§%†/=:. .:=/†%§#@@
@@§££%^~~¨ my mom is here now. i ask her for some ¨~~^%££§@@
#@#§$$^«^. particle board for it to dry on, but .^«^$$§#@#
#£@$¤$\~~. she is worried and wants me to .~~\$¤$@£#
###@%†/«-. throw it away. .-«/†%@###
###£#¤=\«, ,«\=¤#£###
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