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