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#@£§£$/=^. statuette .^=/$£§£@#
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@*\^;«~¨.¨ $$£&§£%@%£¤*%**§~~~=«--~&§£$@§$%%$%§§%%* ¨.¨~«;^\*@
##@§*^:~~, @%%¤%&£%% ,~~:^*§@##
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£&%£:»=^¨. forests around my childhood home. thick .¨^=»:£%&£
#@@£%*\«^, pine arcades that were planted and ,^«\*%£@@#
###&&*/«:. forgotten. wild boars roaming .:«/*&&###
##¶&£*;~-¨ underneath, sniffing at the ground. it ¨-~;*£&¶##
#@@£&$†=,, is dark and moist, the canopy having ,,=†$&£@@#
#%£/««~,.. already soaked up all the sun. ..,~««/£%#
##@££*†»:¨ ¨:»†*££@##
#@¶£§§^=.. there's a river passing by, from east ..=^§§£¶@#
@*~.^~,,.¨ to west, getting broader and deeper and ¨.,,~^.~*@
#@@¤§$/-.. slower as it goes. equisetum grow just ..-/$§¤@@#
@$»..,.¨¨. where the pine hands start to let .¨¨.,..»$@
####%$\-.¨ through light, horsemint on the rocky ¨.-\$%####
@£@@%$†=-, river bed. ,-=†$%@@£@
£#§/~:-,.. ..,-:~/§#£
###§§*=».. ^ ..»=*§§###
###§£^^=:. .:=^^£§###
@@§%§:~... the riverbanks reek of magic. tonight ...~:§%§@@
###&&=^~,. they had been a swampworld with sylvan .,~^=&&###
£¤=~=-:,¨. water, stone rings and floating moss. .¨,:-=~=¤£
###¤¤=^«:. you could've found me wallowing around .:«^=¤¤###
##£¤@=/~~, on the southern shores until i got ,~~/=@¤£##
###§&%^=~. bitten. .~=^%&§###
##¶#£%/«~. .~«/%£#¶##
#@#¤£*†«^, but now i'm further back, on solid ,^«†*£¤#@#
¶***=/».¨. ground, in shoulder-high grass, with an .¨.»/=***¶
@@*~=....¨ orange tin radio and a translucent ¨....=~*@@
&***~~^¨.¨ umbrella which i'm sitting on. ¨.¨^~~***&
###@@%^~^, ,^~^%@@###
@§*»,.¨¨,¨ † ¨,¨¨.,»*§@
@¤@†\^†«^, ,^«†^\†@¤@
@@$=¨¨¨¨¨. somethings moving in the grass. it's .¨¨¨¨¨=$@@
#£=†~,.¨.. invisible to my eyes but i can feel ..¨.,~†=£#
£&:,.,,¨¨. through the ground just how large it is. .¨¨,,.,:&£
####$$†=^, ,^=†$$####
###@£=\-,¨ the soil is muddy. i slip when trying ¨,-\=£@###
£@§%%^\»~, to get up, still looking at the ,~»\^%%§@£
#@£¤$^\=^. direction of sound rather than at my .^=\^$¤£@#
@#%^^..,¨, hands, who are busy putting things in ,¨,..^^%#@
#***»:¨¨,, my pockets. ,,¨¨:»***#
###@£=^~,¨ ¨,~^=£@###
£†$»~:¨¨.¨ then i run east toward my home. ¨.¨¨:~»$†£
@#@@$$^=^. .^=^$$@@#@
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##@#%=†-~. i am not followed, and slow down in the .~-†=%#@##
&@:=^:,¨¨¨ clearing where you at first can spot ¨¨¨,:^=:@&
##@@&$:=^¨ the house, not yet really in the ¨^=:$&@@##
#@$$$=\~-, 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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