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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. .~~\*£§@##
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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. ,~~†:=^&¤#
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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. ,.«:*^%§§§
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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. ¨,~=%@@#@@
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¶#%%;«¨¨.. 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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