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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. ¨.,...~:@¶
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###@¤§^~~, 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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